Potion
by Hamilcar
Summary: Pegasus is dismayed by Kaiba's cold and icy attitude. So he obtains a 'love potion' from a strange woman to change him. But though it works as he wants, Pegasus is about to find out that he should be careful what he wishes for. Toonshipping PxK Ch. 11 up.
1. Quaffing

A little Toonshippy fic that I hope you all enjoy along with various, assorted updates. Somewhat inspired by the short story 'The Chaser' by John Collier but not quite the same.

Standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Pegasus stepped hesitantly into the dimly lit shop. He'd been in dives before – after all he lived in Vegas – but never one quite as shady or quite as creepy as the one he'd just entered. The single room was lined with shelves, crammed with twisted bottles and dubious looking paraphernalia. Strange, unidentifiable plant-like items hung from the ceiling and the air had a thick, musty scent to it. It was clearly the haven of one up to no good.

The proprietor, an aged and withered woman in a shapeless dress and layers of scarves sat behind the splintery counter, working on some type of fabric manipulation, knitting perhaps, or was it crocheting? Pegasus couldn't tell the difference.

He cleared his throat softly and approached her and the door swung shut behind him.

"Ahem."

She looked up from the bunch of yarn in her hand and regarded him with a critical, impatient eye.

"Well? What do you want?"

The CEO found himself caught off guard by her brusque attitude and was at a loss to explain himself. Eventually, he managed to stammer a few words.

"You see… there's… there's this… man… an associate… business partner…"

"You want him poisoned?" She asked impassively.

"NO!" Pegasus blurted then calmed down. "No, I mean… you misunderstand, that's not it at all…"

"Then what?"

He blushed.

"He's… I… I mean, I care about him very much."

"I see," she replied dryly. "Love potion?"

The blush on his cheeks deepened.

"It's not just that. It's not just a matter of attraction. He's… he's… Seto is so dominant. He's always in control… he's always icy. And it's not that I don't love him now I just wish he were more… I don't know…"

"Compliant?" She filled in coolly.

He nodded nervously.

"Yes. Please. I just… It's for his own good, really. Both our goods. I mean… I'll love him. I do love him. I just want him to see that and want him to, you know… relax. Loosen up. I wouldn't do it if it wasn't for both our sakes."

She sighed and shifted herself out of the chair.

"Of course not," she muttered but to herself. After all, critiquing the customer was rarely profitable. "My clients are never selfish," she sighed just as inaudibly, fishing a key out of a deep pocked on the dress and opening a small cabinet on the far wall.

Gnarled hands clasped a glistening green bottle which she placed on the counter in front of him.

"What is it?" He breathed.

"No name. And you wouldn't recognize the ingredients. Suffice it to say that if he drinks it, once I've properly adjusted it, he will be in love with you and he will be – how is it you put it? – the uke."

Again he blushed, but this time with pleasure and not embarrassment.

"Really!" He gasped.

"Yes, really," she said dully. "With you he will be submissive and compliant from the start. He may remain distant or dominant towards others for some time but eventually he will adopt this attitude with them as well. If you give this all to him – and the more he's given the faster the process will be – he will eventually come to depend upon you as the stronger partner in life in general and not merely the bedroom."

Pegasus, however, was hardly paying attention. He merely nodded as she talked, envisioning in his mind a Seto happy to be with him, giving in his affections and warm in his mannerisms.

"What do you need to do to 'adjust' it?" He asked, coming out of his reverie when she stopped.

"I will need a hair," she replied, not at all nonplussed by being ignored, "Or some such. But a hair is easiest and best – dissolves quickest. Once the hair is in the potion and shaken, it will dissolve and the drinker will only fall in love with the person from whom the hair came. The effects are nonreversible and the potion is only good for two days after a hair has been added and the potion specialized."

He lifted his hand to his head and tugged out a strand with a wince, handing it carefully to her.

"Is that all you need?"

"That will do."

She uncorked the bottle, dropped it in, recorked it and shook. The bottle's contents glowed briefly then it subsided.

"The fluid inside is clear, odorless and tasteless. Mix it in anything – even water. And it will happen as you wish."

His eyes shone with delight.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

He grabbed the potion and looked at it, tossing her a few bills carelessly.

"That will be enough for it?"

"More than enough," she replied. She didn't offer to give him change, however, despite his gross overpayment. He hardly noticed.

"Thank you once again!"

He left the shop in a rush and she stared after him, shaking her head.

"Silly boy," she mumbled.

* * *

"Can I get you anything?" Pegasus struggled to make sure that he voice didn't quiver, didn't sound too eager when he asked Seto that question.

He'd waited impatiently over the last day for this to come. He'd known when making his 'purchase' that Seto would be over at his office at this time, the scheduled time (for Kaiba was never late to appointments) and also knew that Kaiba never took anything from him save water.

"Just water," he said with an impatient sigh as his body guard looked stonily on.

Pegasus gulped and poured the glass, keeping his hand steady with a supreme effort and silencing the gasp that nearly escaped as the boy downed the contents. He poured a glass of burgundy for himself and sipped it, looking down at the sheets of paper, trying not to give himself away.

"So, these new contracts…"

"Actually," the teen interrupted briskly, "I'm rather thirsty. Do you mind if I pour myself another cup?"

Pegasus' gaze remained fixated on the papers.

"Go right ahead."

He scanned the words as he heard water pouring and the process repeated every few pages. At last, he'd relaxed and looked up to face the boy.

"Well, everything seems to be in order… Seto," he ventured. "I think we're good."

The boy suddenly turned faintly red and fidgeted with his cup. Pegasus' glace wandered over and he saw for the first time that, whilst he'd been reading, Kaiba had finished off the pitcher.

It was more than he could have hoped for.

"Roland?" Kaiba addressed the suit in a muted tone. "Would you please leave the room?"

"Is that wise, sir?"

"I have a… private matter… I wish to discuss. Please leave."

The grey-haired man paused but then nodded.

"Yes sir," he answered and bowed before leaving.

Pegasus looked at him, eye shining, hoping to contain his excitement. His heart felt as though it would explode if it beat any more rapidly. This could be it…

"Something you wanted, Seto?" He asked, doing his best to sound unconcerned, as though nothing was new.

Seto turned a deep red as the door clicked with a blush that was more characteristic of Pegasus than of the CEO of Kaiba Corp. He took a deep, shaky breath and look at Pegasus who was speechless by now.

"I… I… I…" He stammered and turned redder while Pegasus waited patiently. He looked into the other man's single hazel eye. "I care about you Pegasus!" He burst out and then looked at the carpet. "I have ever since I met you. When Duelist Kingdom happened I thought m dreams were shattered forever, that you hated me and I was nothing more than a tool, but I see now that your affections were just… misplaced. Katsuya… he blabbed about you diary, but then I understood!"

Pegasus smiled. It really did work! Seto was never like this normally! It really worked…

"Oh, Seto…" He moved around his desk, towards the boy who had risen from his chair. Pegasus stood next to him, near enough to hear him breath, and waited to see what he'd do.

He turned towards Pegasus, looking down.

"You're so passionate… so beautiful…" He gasped and looked him in the eye. "I'm sorry, Pegasus! It's not my place. I know you don't return my affection but I want you to know that I don't hate you. And I'm so sorry for keeping you from the person you truly cared about! Please, don't say anything about this; just let it be our secret! I don't have to show it," he told the older one miserably. "It will be a secret just between the two of us that no one ever has to find out about."

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

"Do you want to know a secret, Seto?" He turned the younger boy towards him by the shoulders, pulling him slightly nearer. He lifted the boy's head towards him by the chin and leaned in closer.

"You're calling me Seto… not Kaiba-boy… You've been calling me that…" The boy whispered and trembled as Pegasus smiled.

"The secret is – I care about you too."

He bent slightly and pressed his mouth against Kaiba's. The boy was only an inch shorter, yet the distance felt much greater as he seemed to sink lower, into the kiss. Pegasus gently slid his hands around the boy and pressed him against his body. Seto's hands slid upwards and his fingers slid into Pegasus' hair.

"Pegasus…" He moaned.

"Shhhh… Mmmmmm…" He felt the boy's lips willingly part and he slid his tongue in, enjoying the warm, moist feeling. He pushed harder, maneuvering Seto against the wall of his office. The teen clutched at him as if he were drowning and let him do as he pleased. Then Pegasus released him and withdrew with a smile.

"_This_ can be our little secret," he told Kaiba.

The boy nodded fervently. "Does this mean… will I see you again?"

Pegasus nodded.

"You can come tonight," he said, slipping the boy a card from his pocket with an address and number. "Say that it's for a business dinner. Keep it quiet for now. And I'll see you around seven?"

The boy nodded eagerly.

"Good," Pegasus replied, fixing the boy's hair. "Now I'm sure your guard is waiting. And remember – not a word."

"Of course not," Seto agreed.

Pegasus watched him leave, stumbling and obviously a bit disoriented by what had just occurred. After Kaiba's limo had pulled away, Pegasus got in his vehicle and let it drop him off in the center of the city. From there he found his way to the little shop off the beaten path that he'd visited shortly before. He burst in the shop and found the woman, the same as ever.

"It worked!" He cried and gave her an appreciative smile. "I just had to thank you again – it's a complete change, it's wonderful, it actually worked!" He thrust a package towards her. "Here – it's a token of my thanks. I'm forever grateful to you; you've made everything better, made everything right… Thank you!"

With that last enthusiastic 'thank you' he left once again to prepare himself for the evening. She opened up the box indifferently and found a small, unset diamond twinkling inside it.

"You thank me now," she said with a bemused grin. "But just wait…"

* * *

Dum dum DUUMMMM! So yeah, as you can guess… things are going to start to go haywire. And to find out how, you'll just have to keep reading. :) The next chapter will probably be in Kaiba's P.O.V. and I'll do the whole 'alternating perspectives by chapter' thing or something like it.

So, if you liked it – or even if you didn't – review!


	2. Drowning

And it's that time again – time for another chapter! Despite being slightly frustrated with (having to remove all my song fics before I got banned --) I have managed to write another chapter.

So enjoy. Also – and I will say this again at the end – I would very much appreciate reviews, especially critical ones. I'm trying to expand as a writer beyond mere fluff, angst and humor to be more accurate in my characterizations and to that end I would appreciate input.

That having been said – here you go.

Oh, and one last thing – as mentioned in the last chapter, I will be alternating which person's perspective is more examined in close third on the chapters. This one is in Kaiba's. Again, it's to try and exercise my authoring skills.

* * *

Kaiba had heard of people falling suddenly and drastically in love but he'd never believed it, not really. At least not until it happened to him. Generally he distrusted claims he hadn't personally experienced – Yami's crap about 'the heart of the cards,' Isis' past life nonsense – and sometimes even distrust his senses. It didn't do for a pragmatic businessman to buy into all of that drivel. It clouded the mind. 

Then it did happen to him.

'What's going on?' He wondered. 'I don't know… I just don't…'

He'd always believed himself to have a modicum of control, that even when he saw some vision or monsters that it could be explained rationally. No 'shadow' baloney – just perfectly logical explanations. If my eyes deceived him, he felt that he could trust his mind to retain its sanity.

That was before his mind and body betrayed him.

The way it occurred was so confusing. Pegasus…

There was no getting around the fact that he was an attractive man. However, in Kaiba's opinion, he was also a very great fool who was at best an idiot and at worst a manageable corporate threat. He was irrational, immature and annoying, qualities which did much to override the physically attractive aspect he might have had.

Despite the fact that he dressed as stupidly as he lived, he was tall, pale and thin, like a delicate doll to be handled. If Kaiba would ever approach him, he thought it would be as the brusque, icy corporate mogul who was simply using a pretty object for the pleasure it could give. The body was a slender, supple temptation; the mind of the man was mere inconvenience to be shut up the rest of the time.

Then something happened.

Kaiba felt himself going through a simple routine, the signing of papers - a mere matter of formality between the two companies which practically had to work together, no matter how he despised it. Pegasus was there as ever, downing yet another glass of wine. Nothing was irregular, per se, though he was rather thirsty.

Suddenly, without warning, Kaiba found himself staring at Pegasus, completely overwhelmed. The older man suddenly seemed perfect in every way, from the cascade of his hair to his lithe frame to his milky skin. His body burnt and even when he tried to suppress his thoughts, he found that for the first time he could not. His senses were completely out of control and he felt himself heat up to think about Pegasus, mentally undressing him, mentally undressing _them_…

'Stop!' Kaiba thought to himself desperately.

Whatever came next, he needed to be alone. He teetered on the precipice of making a fool of himself and it was best if there weren't any witnesses. After all, Pegasus alone could be discredited over what transpired, so long as there was no one to corroborate the story.

Kaiba heard words spilling out of his mouth, words he never intended to say, words he never wanted to say. It wasn't what his mind was thinking, yet he was speaking those words nonetheless.

The inflection wasn't his. The words weren't his. He didn't sound anything like himself, yet at the same time he could not help it. Something was wrong…

Then Pegasus jumped into their exchange.

_The secret is – I care about you too._

No kidding. Pegasus' attraction wasn't precisely invisible, it was simply never reciprocated. It wasn't anything Kaiba had wanted, that emotional attachment. Sex, maybe, but not a 'caring' relationship in any sense of the word. This wasn't what he wanted, he told himself, but his body was answering with a vastly different response.

They were kissing. And it felt _good_ – it really did. Despite himself, Seto could feel his arousal. Yet the entirety of the situation, the way in which it was happening… it wasn't supposed to be that way.

He was clutching, lost and confused, caught between what he thought and what he felt – and even what he thought was becoming less distinct. He despised the man. Didn't he? His memory felt foggy.

So he made his excuses, told his lies, did what he had to get away from prying eyes. And now he was outside of Pegasus house. Now he was ringing the bell. Now the man was pulling him inside, nuzzling him, stroking him, petting him and all he could feel was his heart speeding up and his body pulsing, reacting to the man's touch.

"Pegasus!" He gasped, startled at how quickly everything seemed to move.

The other smiled silkily.

"What is it?"

'Leave me alone. Stop this. Quit.'

"You feel so good… I want you so badly…"

'WHAT?'

Pegasus nodded knowingly and took him by the hand, leading him to a dark, quiet bedroom. There were lit candles at various places in the room, burning softly and emanating some unidentifiable scent. Kaiba wanted to run but his body stumbled along willingly, even eagerly. He felt the man push him on to the bed, kiss him again, undress him…

As he felt his clothing fall away it suddenly seemed as though he'd emerged from underwater. His head felt clearer and though he was still having trouble moving he could speak.

"This… is… rape…" He managed to breathe out before whatever seemed to be suffocating his reason enveloped him once more.

Pegasus drew back as if struck. His eye managed to convey a sense of hurt and betrayal of which even Kaiba hadn't expected them to be capable. The thought entered his mind that perhaps he was wrong. What if he was? Perhaps this was no fault of Pegasus'. After all, he, Seto Kaiba, had done everything to make Pegasus believe that this was what he wanted.

Kaiba didn't know what to do.

"You said you wanted this!" Pegasus moaned in a hurt, accusatory voice.

He had. That was true. But whose fault was it that he'd said those words? Certainly not his own. Those weren't the words of Seto Kaiba. But then whose were they? Pegasus'? But how? There was no plausible explanation. Nothing seemed to make sense. And now uncertain actions had led him to Pegasus' lair, his bed, his clutches, his embrace…

Kaiba hung his head.

Who was he?

Now Pegasus' back was turned and Kaiba could hear small sobs of frustration. That dolt. He got emotional over everything. Then, like a breaker washing over the shore, Kaiba felt an unexpected, unwarranted wave of regret.

He felt himself standing and tried not to. He felt himself hold Pegasus when he didn't want to. Like watching a movie, he saw his actions and cursed his inability to stop.

"I'm sorry…" He unwillingly whispered. "I'm just nervous. This is my first time, you know. I'm not used to this."

He would never say such things, never, _NEVER_… Magic wasn't real, but then what was this? He wanted to panic and run but felt himself pressing into Pegasus' back.

Pegasus turned around, his eye red and teary. He held Kaiba and lowered him back on to the bed.

"We don't have to do this now if you don't want to," he whispered. "If you're frightened we can move slowly."

A way out. He needed to take it. If only to reflect…

"That's OK. I want this. I want you.

Take me."

Pegasus nodded, his eye dry now since Kaiba had brushed away the saline trickles from his face. Kaiba sat on the bed, half-undressed, as Pegasus went around and blew out the candles one by one.

Then, in the darkness, he took the shivering boy who wondered how it could be happening.

* * *

Hope you liked it. The next chapter will be in close 3rd examining Pegasus. Remember – review. :) It encourages the next chapter. 

Any and all feedback is appreciated.


	3. Gazing

With reviews becoming increasingly more encouraging, I couldn't help updating again. :) Keeps me on track.

And yes, some of you noticed that this is noticeably darker from a lot of my usual fare. It will become increasingly so and I just want to be sure that I'm doing it in a believable manner. If I seem to be getting off track, feel free to tell me.

I want this to be the best fic possible – so any and all input helps.

Enjoy.

* * *

Pegasus stood at the window and peered out into the darkness. The moon shone overhead with a hazy halo around it and Pegasus wondered what it was from. Pollution, maybe, or mist. Maybe it meant that it would rain the next day. He didn't know; science was never his forte. He allowed the lunar phenomenon to distract him from the boy on the bed behind him.

"Is something wrong?" A normally icy voice sweetly murmured words that he'd longed to hear. "It's late, why don't you come back to bed?" The tone was inviting. But something felt out of kilter. Pegasus drew the curtains closed with a restless motion.

He looked at the fellow corporate head, lying there naked beneath the sheets. There were visible spots of blood and damp spots everywhere. There were also a few rips which meant that he'd probably have to throw them out. He sighed. Maybe he'd just burn them to avoid awkward questions. It would add to the secrecy of the relationship as well.

It was not, however, the confidentiality of their dalliance that concerned him at the moment. More pressing was the fact that his 'paradise' was turning out to be far from perfect. The first comment about 'rape' had only been the start, though to be honest it was a big step. Pegasus looked at Kaiba as he crawled back into bed, saw his shining blue eyes and wondered what was behind them. He kissed the boy but there was no joy in it.

Rape. He hadn't wanted it after all, even after all the attention, even after the concoction… wasn't it supposed to be love? It didn't feel like it. Pegasus had felt his heart slam into a wall. Even after all his attempts it wasn't honest and the boy's faint words, as brief as they might have been, seemed to sully all other honeyed whisperings with their taint.

He'd played the part of the injured lover well. Perhaps if he entrenched the boy in the deception, denied it… perhaps he would come to accept it as truth. And that was almost love, wasn't it? He feigned innocence in the emotional trickery, acted as though Kaiba had duped him and had then taken him, knowing all the while that they true Seto Kaiba didn't want his love at all. There was no affection, just an endless plateau of ice.

But the words sounded so wonderful…

Kaiba hadn't been lying about on thing, however. He was totally new to it. His virginity and relative innocence – at least in regards to sexual activity – were obvious. Pegasus found himself being forced to take a leading role, though whether that was by virtue of age or experience or the effect of the potion he wasn't sure. All he knew was that neither he nor Kaiba was confident. The blind lead the blind.

Though he'd been married, even then Pegasus had never felt like the one in charge, much less with another man. So that night when it came time to act, he'd been timid and shy, uncomfortable in a role which didn't come naturally, and had hesitated while Kaiba had waited. His halting entry and nervous movements lead to awkward pain and dissatisfaction. Kaiba seemed equally unsure, though Pegasus didn't know what factor to attribute that to either.

All in all, it simply felt wrong. He wasn't supposed to be doing it, _any_ of it. He wasn't the one on top. That wasn't how he'd imagined it and yet it was. He wanted to be the one nuzzling and kissing and making emotional comments. Instead, it was Kaiba doing all of that with Pegasus carrying the knowledge that Seto didn't want to at all.

A tear born of frustration and aggravation slid down his cheek.

Seto wiped it away tenderly. "What's wrong?"

Pegasus brushed his hand away and the boy nestled his face into Pegasus' chest.

"You can tell me. Tell me anything."

He sighed. "I'm just… tired. Is all."

Kaiba smiled. "Was it too much for you tonight?"

Pegasus paused. This was ridiculous. Nobody would ever find out. Nobody would ever know. The moment of clarity had passed and Kaiba would not re-emerge. By now the potion had completely permeated him, coursing through every vein. He wouldn't resist again…

And that bothered Pegasus. Logically, none of it _should_ have. He could enjoy the boy all he wanted, do as he pleased, hear everything he wanted to hear… But it was all meaningless. It was vapor. It was an act for pleasure and nothing else, this reshaping of Kaiba into a soft, compliant lover that he would never have been and forcing himself into the role of the taker, the man who simply grabbed what he wanted, without sincere emotion involved, solely for his own satisfaction.

In a way, he'd reversed their roles. And now, Pegasus felt frightened. He was not, had never been, could not bear to be Kaiba, and yet he felt the sneaking suspicion that 'Kaiba' was precisely what he was becoming…

He pressed up against the boy's soft body again and consoled himself with the fact that it was only in the bedroom.

"It wasn't too much… it was perfect."

* * *

Rain splattered against the windows of his office and Pegasus' mind wandered to the moon he'd seen the previous night. Perhaps it had been an indication of the weather to come and he hadn't even recognized it, despite looking straight at it. Well, he didn't know. And thus he hadn't packed an umbrella. He sighed and had lunch brought to his office instead of walking about to get it himself.

As he ate the Caesar salad without much enthusiasm, he thought about the previous night. The ruse had gone off well enough – Kaiba had slipped into a guest bedroom, the sheets had been removed and stashed, the staff at large thought he'd come over to the mansion late in the evening to work and simply spent the night and nobody was any wiser. All that was left was a slight soreness, though he was willing to bet that it was worse for Kaiba.

He was stabbing his fork through another few pieces of lettuce when the telephone rang. He pressed the button on the front so that the voice came over the speaker into the office and he didn't have to bother with holding the phone.

"Industrial Illusions. Pegasus speaking."

"Sir?" The clipped voice of his secretary spilled into the room. "Sir, Seto Kaiba is calling. He says that it's imperative."

Pegasus felt apprehensive but nodded. "Put him through."

The phone crackled with static for a moment.

"Pegasus?"

"Kaiba!" He said, forcing his voice to be playful. "Tell me, to what do I owe the honor?" He put up the façade that nothing had happened and hoped that the boy would behave likewise.

"Pegasus, I need help."

"Help? What do you mean?"

A cold, clenching feeling seized his stomach.

"I'm supposed to… I have to decide on a supplier for several of my Duel Disk components and I… I just can't! I don't know what to do, it's all so confusing… there are at least three companies offering, they all sound reasonable – I'm not sure which one to pick. So…" he coughed and sounded sheepish, even over the phone. "I thought maybe you could help me. You know, give me advice, tell me who I should pick, that sort of thing."

Pegasus laughed nervously to hide his growing nausea.

"Kaiba-boy… that's… this is so… _inappropriate_! I can't tell you how to run your company, that would be… I mean, it would look as though… well, it just wouldn't be right. And I produce cards, not technology. I wouldn't know the first thing about picking a technological supplier!

Surely you can choose for yourself." He bit his lower lip anxiously.

There was a pause and then a response.

"You called me Kaiba-boy." He said with a voice that smacked of betrayal.

Pegasus could feel the icy, unsettling feeling spread. "What has that go to do with…"

"My name is Seto!" He interrupted in a pleading voice that sounded halfway to tears.

The older man felt like he'd received a blow to the head from no where. He slumped back in his chair, lunch forgotten, feeling the world spin around him.

"I didn't mean… I mean… I… I…" He stammered, utterly unprepared.

"Please," the boy asked more quietly. "Call me Seto. Call me _Seto_!" His voice grew more agitated.

"Ok, OK, calm down…" Pegasus begged, hoping that he was alone. "Calm down Seto." He swallowed. "I'll try and help you… do you know the details of the deals?"

He could hear the boy's ragged breathing on the other end of the line.

"I could have it sent over, but they want a decision soon. In a couple of days."

"A couple of _days_?" He clutched the arms of his chair until his knuckles turned white, then jumped up and started to pace. "Well, I suppose I could give you some advice, if you sent the documents relating to the offers over right away."

Seto cleared his throat.

"You know…" He began in a lower voice, "I could deliver them _personally_ and we could oh, say… _discuss_ them in private. At your house.

If you wouldn't mind."

Pegasus kept his face stoic, even though Kaiba wasn't in the room. The boy had a lot to learn about subtlety. The question was not one of deciphering his intentions – that meaning was loud and clear – but whether or not he wanted to answer them with an affirmative.

Nearly every fiber in Pegasus' body warned him that the road his was traveling was risky. Red flags were raised and alarms going off as if there had been klaxons inside his office. He was beginning to doubt not simply the morality of his choice but also the desirability of its effect. The rational portion of his mind was screaming, loud and clear, that this was a mistake.

But there was another voice inside of his head, a voice no louder than a whisper.

It spoke of long, cold nights alone.

It spoke of isolation and the lack of touch.

It spoke of how much he could enjoy their night, their lives if only he let go of his qualms.

It spoke it a dark, sultry, seductive voice of passion and warmth and fulfillment if only he'd accept the boy's gift.

Nobody would blame him.

_Nobody._

This was good for him, good for them both. They didn't have to be alone. So Kaiba hadn't wanted to… well, that was before they'd actually done it, wasn't it? Surely their intercourse had changed his mind. He said 'rape' because he didn't know yet, how wonderful it could be. He was, after all, a virgin – how could he understand the pleasure that sexual intimacy brought, the seeping, swelling heat, the tender joy in the darkness…?

He had certainly changed his mind. He'd just needed the potion to give him… incentive. Get him past his stubborn refusal. It wasn't rape, not now that he was willing.

It was what they both wanted.

"Pegasus?" Kaiba asked uncertainly.

Pegasus snapped out of his pensive state and stopped pacing. He crushed the internal alarms and screams beneath the heel of rationalization and responded with a voice that was likewise appropriately suggestive.

"Oh, I suppose that would work. Shall I see you at… say… seven then? For dinner? And we can talk afterwards."

"Of course!" The boy consented eagerly. "Afterwards we can discuss _everything_."

"Then I'll see you tonight?"

"Tonight." Seto said longingly and paused. "Good bye then…"

Hearing the reluctance in the boy's voice struck a sympathetic chord inside of Pegasus. That couldn't be faked. It just… _couldn't_.

"Good bye," He responded fondly before hanging up.

He stood in his office a moment, holding the feeling of the Seto's voice to his heart, pure and simple emotion without revealing eyes to taint it. Tonight. Tonight.

What a wonderful, distant yet hopeful thought.

Tonight.

* * *

And there you have it. Another chapter. Next one will be Kaiba, just like the last time.

Remember: Reviews make the world go 'round and constructive reviews make the writer improve. So… criticism, if you please.


	4. Slipping

Ok, I haven't allowed for too much of a break between chapters. The reviews I am getting are pretty good and some are quite thorough. Which makes for swifter updates. Well, that plus the fact that I'm really enjoying writing this story.

To answer a few questions – this story takes place at an undisclosed time after the end of the series – at least a few years have gone by, and assuming that GX never happened (or hasn't as of yet). R hasn't been considered either and probably won't be. The appearance of other characters will be brief, as I want to focus on the development of these two. However, some will show up.

So here we go again.

Enjoy.

* * *

Seto Kaiba felt his arms hug the pillow he was resting on closer to him. He pulled the sheets tighter and his head twisted to look at the figure standing by the window in the moonlight. Pegasus was glowing in the wash of luminescence pouring in from the window and looked more than ever like the delicate creature Kaiba had first supposed him to be. He kept doing that, every night they were together, and Kaiba wondered why. What was outside that window? What was he looking at? 

He wondered for a moment who the man really was inside of him, what Pegasus really was. Yet despite his mind, Kaiba knew his body burned for the silver-haired man. A china doll that he could touch and play with…

He heard himself invite Pegasus back to bed _again _(he wasn't going to use the term 'beg') and as the man slid in next to him, he felt his body being held while his mind tried with increasing difficulty to sort out the events of the day.

He remembered being in his office, feeling confused and overwhelmed. _He_ could see the answer clearly but 'he' couldn't at the same time. 'He' called Pegasus and felt his heart sink to a new depth. Not only was his body seemingly no longer his but his company – his _company_, the one thing he'd fought to protect from so many people for so many years – was being surrendered as well. And now he could see, like a road stretching out before him, the path he would helplessly tread, relinquishing control bit by bit.

Pegasus was reluctant of course, which confused Kaiba. The older man had been so eager to control the corporation a few years ago and yet now he seemed to shy away even from giving an innocent recommendation. He wondered, then, whom this behavior was going to benefit and who would have taken steps to influence him so disturbingly.

Logic gave him no answers – he couldn't even depend on a rational thinking process – and as he talked and moved, unguarded thoughts slipped in with greater frequency. Perhaps he really was an unfit president, a little boy playing a charade. After all, was it real prowess that had gotten him so far or simply a scowl and a bluff? Self-doubt sprouted inside of him and more such feelings were to follow, corroding the man he could have sworn he was.

Being with Pegasus, it occurred to him (was it _him_?), didn't exactly feel bad. He couldn't see a way to stop it. He couldn't prevent it. Surely there was no harm, then, in… enjoying it? His body reacted to the ministrations the man performed and the protests of his mind grew dimmer. So he wasn't in control – to be fair, he was seven years younger. He lacked experience. Why should he be? Besides, Pegasus was beautiful. In a girlish way, to be certain, but beautiful nonetheless. And he did want him – one way or another. The pleasure and acceptance he found in the man's bed was too enjoyable to throw away for no good reason. If he was being manipulated… well, even if he didn't know the architect, better that he go to someone attentive like Pegasus rather than some one like his late step-father. A dark whisper told him that it could have been like that and he didn't know how good he had it.

He tried to scold himself for giving up so easily. Yet even as he did so, he couldn't seem to find a way that it could end other than capitulation. Thus the question came again, louder than before, asking him if it was in fact so very bad.

Which brought him to another confusing crossroads.

Pegasus had taken to whispering 'I love you' as they came together.

He whispered it as the papers and folders were shoved off the bedspread. He whispered it as clothing, professional suits followed by tailored shirts and finally undergarments, slid on to the floor. He whispered it while nipping Seto up and down. And as fogged as his mind was, he couldn't tell what the truth of the other man's remarks was nor how he wanted to respond.

All he heard was moaning and acquiescence.

'Be satisfied,' the voice said, 'Because nobody else is going to want you, you arrogant, pretentious bastard."

I don't care, he told himself. I never cared about it before and anyway there's Mokuba…

'Who's growing older. He hardly spends time here and in a few short years will leave altogether…'

A brother whom I should be looking after and who would still, who would _always_, care about me. Anyway, I've never needed a relationship before and I don't need one now. Especially not with somebody like him. The sex is good but a long term emotional investment is a waste of time and energy.

'Sure… you always were a terrible liar.'

Kaiba wanted to squeeze his eyes shut to not look at what was happening and to try and shut out the voice. Then Pegasus started to cry again and he opened up. This time he licked away the older man's tears, tasted the saltiness and felt the warmth of Pegasus' chest, heard the calming beat of his heart. Was this what love felt like? No one had ever taught him.

In the darkness, his mind drifted back to the terror that the name 'Kaiba-boy' had precipitated. It brought up memories of betrayal and imprisonment. He'd suddenly feared that Pegasus had forgotten his attachment from the first night, that he didn't care, that he would go back to being the man he was a few years ago… Even worse, that 'Kaiba' was how Pegasus saw him. As though Seto and Kaiba were two different people, opposite sides of the same man.

As the hours ticked by and he spent another evening with Pegasus, he found himself wondering, under the blossoming influence of whatever held sway over him, what the enchantment was doing. Was it him that was being eroded and a new creature fashioned in his stead? Or was this… _spell,_ for lack of a more reasonable word, simple washing dirt off an edifice, revealing the true shape and form beneath the layers of hardened filth and grime? Perhaps he'd gotten it wrong and this was simply the real him showing through.

Without warning, Pegasus took him and he felt himself release, wondering if he would soon even remember to care about the answer.

He tried to forget how good it felt as he was ushered into a luxurious spare bedroom that Pegasus had furnished. He let the darkness take him, but even in his sleep the man haunted his memories, glowing softly like he had in the moonlight. There was no way to drive the man out of his mind; it was as though Pegasus had permeated his very blood.

Kaiba woke to find the sheets damp and his mouth turned up in a smile when all he wanted was to grind his teeth and smash the lamp.

* * *

The next day, Kaiba came home directly after work and slumped down into a chair, absolutely exhausted. He had never gotten around to discussing the suppliers with Pegasus – they'd gotten more than a little sidetracked – and he'd had to make fumbling excuses. He wanted to blush at the memory; normally he would have just dismissed the men without telling them anything, but this time he'd strung together a few poorly formulated phrases about needed more time 'just to be sure.' 

More than that, he found himself missing Pegasus' presence. His office suddenly seemed bare. There weren't any pictures in it, not any at all. None of him or Mokuba or Pegasus or his friends – well, those losers who purported to be his friends. There was just emptiness, like a cavern.

He felt trapped.

The sound of the door swinging open suddenly came through the hall and was quickly followed by thumps and crashes.

"Mokuba?" He asked tentatively.

The boy ran into the room, halfway out of his uniform. It had taken weeks of badgering but Kaiba had eventually allowed him to go to the local high school to be with the 'normal' kids. So now he attended Domino, just like all the rest, and wore the same standard blue uniform as Yuugi and the others.

"Whoa, what the fuck are you doing home so early?"

"Mokuba, watch your language," he chastised half-heartedly.

"Sorry, nii-sama," he shrugged. "I'm just surprised to see you here. Like, don't you have work or something?"

Kaiba shook his head.

"It ended at five and I didn't really have much to do. Would you like to do something this evening?" He gave Mokuba a normally rare smile.

The boy, however, didn't notice as he was already turned towards the door, leaving his jacket on the floor for the servants to pick up and clean. He shook his head and leaned half way in and half way out of the door frame, ready to make for the stairs.

"Can't. I'm going out with some friends tonight. I'll be back, like, at eleven or something. Maybe. Might be later, I don't know."

"Oh." Kaiba couldn't hide his disappointment. "Well is there anything you want to do this week?"

The boy shifted in his stocking feet uncomfortably. His brother didn't normally behave this way. Had he done something to deserve this? All he wanted was to go and hang out.

"I'm kinda doing stuff pretty much every day. Besides, I don't think you'd like to do what I like to do."

"Just try me!" He still held on to the smile half-heartedly.

The boy turned.

"Nah, it's OK. You can work; you don't have to take time off for me. I'm fine. Look, I've gotta go get ready or were going to be late."

"Oh. All right." Kaiba's answer went unheard, however, as the boy was already bounding up the stairs.

After he'd gone, Kaiba thought of a million issues he should have addressed with the boy. His grades were slipping. He never seemed to be at home. According to the staff, he was sneaking out at night and crawling back in at incredible hours. His clothing smelled awful – he smoked from time to time and allowed laundry to pile up. His room was a wreck. And he always seemed to be in some kind of altercation at school. He was still a good kid, mostly– it just seemed as though he was taking after people like that moron Katsuya.

Kaiba wondered where the boy had gone wrong, or if in fact he had gone wrong. Why hadn't Mokuba followed his example? And was he right in choosing not to follow it? His own brother didn't want to be like him. Kaiba had always been so certain that he'd been the best, that what he was had been more than good enough, yet now it looked as though everybody but him could see the faults and flaws of such a nature.

Nobody acted like he had. And even having everything could not keep his brother at home, could not make him continue to blindly idolize him. Seto felt more alone than ever. Then the voice poured into his thoughts again.

'You don't have to be.'

The entire day he'd been afraid to call Pegasus. Surely they were being too obvious. Surely someone was going to find out. And if and when they did, there would be tabloid-hell to pay. Which was why he had to try, _try_ at least, to limit himself in their interactions. Not too many calls, not too many visits, certainly no pictures since that would be a dead giveaway…

Then he thought of something, an ingenious idea. He wanted to see Pegasus, to assure himself that there was somebody for him.

Deliberately, he removed the card-shaped locket from around his neck and clicked it open to see the picture inside of Mokuba, as a child. His eyes were wide and soft. Kaiba could feel his heart rate speed up, thinking of the loving gaze that one soft hazel eye fixed upon him.

His fingers gently began to ease the picture out of its holder and hovered over the bit sticking out at the top, wondering whether to pull it out or not. He wavered and a voice deep inside him roared with muted thunder.

'What are you _THINKING_! That is your BROTHER, you cannot replace him with the image of that… that PRISSY _SNAKE_! STOP! STOP IT THIS **INSTANT**!'

He tugged the picture out, pocketed it, then went upstairs to look and see if he had a picture or digital image of Pegasus that he could cut out.

* * *

So yes, I realized I had rather been neglecting the brotherly aspect. Basically, it's a few years later and Mokuba's around the age that the gang was in the normal series (16-18). I tried… well, just give me comments on how you thought he was portrayed and I'll see if I did my job well. 

All comments/criticism/reviews are welcome. Again (I know, I'm being repetitious) I would appreciate lengthy reviews that go over specific details.


	5. Rising

And now for a Pegasus chapter. With a little bit more of Mokuba thrown in for good measure. Standard disclaimers apply.

Enjoy.

* * *

Pegasus buttoned the long, khaki coat and waited for his chauffeur to pull around. Neither of them said anything as they repeated the process that had occurred twice before. Pegasus shivered slightly, not wanting to go into the creepy shop again. However, he wanted all of his confusion and conflicting emotions to be settled once and for all. Something must have gone wrong or he messed something up… she had to have a way to fix it. _Had_ to.

And this time, for good.

When he entered, the shop was as shabby as he remembered. The woman was in the same position as before, still working away behind the counter. He crossed the dusty floor and stood in front of her, waiting for her to notice him. She looked up with tired, unsurprised eyes.

"Yes? Did you want something more?" She asked flatly.

He looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling very foolish. This was probably his fault to begin with.

"Things… things aren't turning out right."

She paused and got in a few more stitches or purls or whatever they were.

"And?"

He looked up at her, pleading.

"Can you fix it?"

She pursed her lips together then put her work down on her lap. Clasping her hands, she leaned against the creaky desk and looked at him squarely.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"He's not… well… the first night… the first night he called it 'rape.' _Rape_! I though…" He frowned. "I thought he was supposed to be in love with me…"

Love. Such a nebulous notion.

"Even with a potion, such things can take time. Is he compliant?"

"Yes…" He replied haltingly. "I mean, he is but that's… I mean… It's not what I thought it would be like…"

"That's hardly my fault. You asked for it to work that way."

"I know I did, but I just wanted him to care about me… I thought it would make him open up and be affectionate…"

"And it hasn't?"

"But it feels insincere! And strange… abnormal."

"Insincere? Can you be sure of what he means? Can he be sure? Who among us can know our true intentions? I know how my potion works; and let me tell you that actions speak much louder than words."

He persisted.

"But it doesn't feel right! It's like… Like I should be where he is and he shouldn't be what he's become and neither of us can be happy…"

She sighed.

"This is your problem. You asked for an uke – well you can't remain an uke yourself and expect to be satisfied with it. As for calling it rape, the boy was a virgin was he not?" He nodded. "Well, then," she said with a faint smile kept mostly to herself, "He was probably just nervous."

Pegasus nodded with a fervent mixture of relief and enthusiasm.

"Precisely what I thought!"

Fool.

"So if you start acting like the partner he needs you to be, things will fall into place. Trust me. Simply assert yourself over him and you will see that 'insincerity' as you call it melt away. The 'abnormality' will subside, assuming you hold up your end of the bargain.

And if you don't – well, I can't be responsible for what happens. An uke needs a seme. The compliant needs someone to control him. You requested a relationship in which you would be the manipulator and he would be the manipulated. And I always deliver for my clients. Now you must simple rise to the occasion and fulfill your end of the arrangement."

He swallowed and nodded.

"So… just be dominant. OK, I can do this… just like Duelist Kingdom… if I can just be like I was on Duelist Kingdom, fierce, in control… yes… that will do…"

She picked up the yarn and went back to her work. He walked towards the door, trying to nerve himself to do what was expected of him once he returned. At the doorway, he touched the knob then hesitated and turned around.

"Are you sure this will work?"

She nodded.

"Of course I am sure. The potion has already begun to make him compliant from what you've told me. He will depend on you – need you – and be unable to leave you. And in the end he will give you exactly what you desire.

Services rendered for the price paid, you know."

He nodded and gave her a thin smile.

"Thank you for instructing me."

He walked out for the third time.

Inside the silent room, she clicked away at her work.

* * *

Mokuba slide into the back seat where a blond was waiting for him, legs crossed. In the front seat were two others, a boy and a girl, smiling in a good-natured way. They peeled off down the street from the mansion as the blond slid in closer to Mokuba. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek.

"Hey baby."

"What took you so long, Moke?"

"My brother…"

She frowned slightly. "He doesn't know about us does he? I mean… nothing against your big brother but he doesn't seem like exactly the type who would approve."

Mokuba shrugged.

"He just doesn't like romantic relationships. Honestly, I can't see him every having one himself."

The boy driving chuckled.

"A twenty-something virgin? That's kinda pathetic"

The girl next to him punched his arm.

"At least he's not a whore like you!"

"Whore? I believe you mean 'fine pimp-master stud.' Face it folks – the ladies love me!"

Mokuba rolled his eyes.

"Yeah right. You sound like Ryuuji."

"Who?"

He sighed.

"Never mind. Anyway, Seto simply has other, more important things on his mind. I don't think he'd exactly _disapprove_… I mean, I am his brother, and besides, I had to start sometime… but it's probably best that he doesn't know we're sleeping together just yet."

The blond nodded.

"So if it wasn't about us, what'd he want?"

Mokuba looked out the window and gave another shrug.

"Not sure. I was kinda hurried. But I think the school called him – probably said something about my dropping grades. He gets like this on occasion. Somebody calls him about me and he feels like he's not doing his job so he tries to do the 'buddy' thing. Not that I don't love him but… jeez… he's like my father. That's kinda creepy, hanging out with him. I mean, I used to when I was younger, but my friends aren't his, you know?"

She nodded sympathetically.

"And anyway, I know he doesn't really want to. He's busy with his company, and that's OK with me – what he does is important. I'm OK with you guys and he can work like he wants to and we're both happy with that.

It's better for us both like this. I mean, he tries hard, but it's not really 'him' to do the hang-out pal thing."

"So you told him he doesn't have to?"

"Eh, something like that."

"All right you two, enough about the Ice King of Domino," he smirked when Mokuba smacked the back of his head. "Where to? The arcade, the movies, grab some food…"

* * *

Pegasus felt his stomach twitch and flutter as Seto sat down in his office. The boy looked at him expectantly and Pegasus tried to keep up a strong front. He had to do this. For both of them. Kaiba had changed for him… now he needed to change for Kaiba.

It was only fair.

He nodded resolutely, ignoring his apprehension.

"Yes. I am quite confident that the third choice would be the best," he replied, handing him the folder. "They seem to be the most stable."

Well, at least that was partially true. He'd done the best he could, working covertly so that nobody in Kaiba's company or his would know of the advisement. He wasn't exactly sure that he'd made the best choice – the companies were fairly close in status – but how badly could it turn out?

Seto took the folder gratefully and smiled.

"Thank you so much!" He stood from his chair and embraced Pegasus, burying his face in the nape of the man's neck.

Pegasus began to sweat beneath the collar of the turtleneck he'd worn.

"I missed you, you know…"

Pegasus chucked. "But it's only been a few hours…"

He realized, as Seto looked up at him, that even the boy's miniscule difference in height now seemed exaggerated. The younger man gazed at him with eyes that seemed more likely to belong to his brother – wide, soft 'puppy dog' eyes."

"Don't laugh…" His eyes slid downward and he embraced the man again. "It feels like it's so much longer…"

Pegasus returned the embrace and his thoughts drifted back to the shop. An uke needed a seme. Rise to the occasion. Duelist Kingdom. He had to do this. Yes.

He _had_ to.

He returned the embrace crushingly, causing the other to exhale in surprise. The, he grabbed the boy's chin and turned it upwards. He kissed him violently and nipped the boy's tongue and lips, licking off the spot of blood that emerged on his mouth.

"I hope that will hold you until the evening," he said with a smirk.

Seto flushed as he stepped away and it was obvious that he was hard. He nodded, eyes shining brightly, shining all the way through to their very depths with excitement and passion.

"I think it might… I'll come over as soon as I can!"

Pegasus waited until he'd gone then collapsed into a chair. His tongue still tasted the tang of Seto's blood and he felt like he wanted to retch. It seemed to have worked, but perhaps it was too early to say. In either case, he couldn't give up the charade just yet…

He felt cold inside as he realized that now, with Seto as he was, he could _never_ give it up. The words of the woman suddenly came through into his mind, as though he'd only truly heard them for the first time.

_The potion was irreversible._

Oh, there was insincerity in the relationship, sure enough. But it wasn't on Seto's part.

It was his.

He shook his head. This was foolish. _Duelist Kingdom,_ he repeated to himself and tried to hold on to that thought. He'd been that was before and he could be like that again, even without the Eye. It was within him to be so; he just had to bring that side of him out.

If he didn't… well, he would.

Again, the refrain echoed – he _had_ to.

* * *

He repeated it to himself throughout the day. He repeated it to himself during the drive home. He repeated it to himself while waiting in a chair. He repeated it to himself while walking to the front foyer after hearing the doorbell ring.

He repeated it until it was all he heard.

Thus, when Seto came, he wasted no time like he had the other nights. He didn't lead him gently to the room, speaking soft words and kissing him as he went. He didn't woo or entice the boy with sweet whisperings. He didn't caress his hand or nuzzle his cheek or rub him affectionately.

Instead, he dragged the boy inside and slammed the door shutting. Pushing and dragging, he took the bewildered man to his room and threw him on the bed. Pegasus undressed him so swiftly, so violently that the suit Seto was wearing ripped. Oh well. He could well afford another – they both could. Then he pounced on the boy's naked form, concentrating on pleasure and force and strength, fueled by the memory of what the Eye had felt like.

Seto screamed and bled, but he paid no mind. Beneath him, the other bucked and whimpered as Pegasus dug his manicured nails into his partner's chest and back, making streaks of light red running across his skin. He went until he was satisfied and Seto was nothing but a limp pile of flesh panting beside him. Then the younger man turned over and cuddled up to Pegasus, exhausted. He clung to the silver-haired man and Pegasus lazily draped his arm around him.

The cerulean pools that gazed up at him… adored. All the way through.

'She was right…'

He didn't rise to look at the moon, nor did he cry that night.

The next morning, after Seto had left and the mess was cleaned up, Pegasus came out of the shower in a robe, drying his hair as he stepped in front of his mirror. Suddenly, he noticed something lying on the wine-colored carpet. He picked it up.

Seto's locket.

The ragged cord told him that he must have ripped it off and thrown it aside when he'd taken Seto the previous evening. Since it was dark and the carpet was as well, Seto mustn't have noticed it and missed it on the way out.

'Strange…' He mused, 'That he wouldn't have noticed it was missing…'

He clicked it open and the floor dropped out from beneath him. Stunned, he staggered backwards and fell back onto his bed, looking up at the canopy. He clutched the opened locket to his chest, feeling disoriented and breathing heavily. All of his fears came rushing back to him at the simple sight of his own face, looking at him with a stare that he imagined to be accusing.

"I… I've killed him…" He whispered in a timid voice and his body shuddered with the pain of realization. "I _killed_ him…"

* * *

And that's it until next chapter in which we will see more of Kaiba's POV. :) Hope you enjoyed. Oh, and one note on Mokuba's nickname that I used – Moke, it rhymes with Coke. Not 'Mokie.' Also, his friends aren't any characters in particular – I'm not giving credence to any particular Mokuba ship. They're just random kids, basically.

And remember – please leave constructive criticism.

Update: I changed according to Toonnshipper's pointing out of that mistake. > Oops. And I also added a little bit to last line.


	6. Burning

Glad that this story continues to interest. A few notes before the story gets underway:

Toonshipper – thanks for pointing out the error. It has been duly corrected. Thus the previous chapter has some minor revision.

I will also likely be revising the previous four chapters in minor detail based on reviews and my own observations. Again, if there are errors or inconsistencies, feel more than free to point them out.

The first chapter is also going to be changed in slightly more significant ways to better suit the ending. It's minor but edits will be made.

As for Seto… well you're just going to have to keep reading, no:-) I know, I know. But there are more complications ahead. I've pretty much known from the start where this story was headed. And as for his former personality surfacing… I don't want to give away too much. He _might_. Wink wink. Ahem. But as for the events leading up and following…

In answer to another question, there are _always_ consequences. I'll leave it at that.

Also, another word: Don't assume too much about the old woman.

But enough about future chapters. For now, enjoy this bit of the story.

* * *

Kaiba remember one time, when Mokuba was about ten, the boy waking up screaming from a nightmare. He'd watched a documentary earlier that evening about firefighters and had dreamt about being inside a burning building. He'd described it to his brother, all the vivid images that he'd felt – the heat of the fire on his face, the suffocating smoke, the terror of the wooden floors collapsing beneath him, the panic from the blazing chunks of walls and furniture falling around him, inciting his fear of death.

Now Kaiba could tell why he'd been so frightened. It wasn't easy to be trapped in a place you were going to die in, watching everything collapse and wondering how long it would be until the destruction claimed you as well.

The most hideous part of all of it was the trick of having been allowed to hope. Showing a glimpse of light then snatching is away was harsher than simply letting him waste away; he could have resigned himself and felt less pain if he'd never been able to hope. But his pride wouldn't allow him to give up, invented false hopes for him to go on, and drove him forward when there was no road to follow.

_You don't need anything but yourself and if you lose that you have NOTHING._

That was what happened when he'd been in Pegasus' office. The man's decision had not actually been so bad. Oh, there was a better one, to be sure, but it was far from the worst. The choice was downright salvageable. This was his hope, that he wasn't in too deep just yet and that he could again seize control and the entire ugly incident could be covered up. There was no need for anyone to know what he'd done and when he did break free…

His body had shaken just a bit. The anger that rose up, the lust for revenge that grew deep within him when he thought of what had been done to him almost allowed him to be free. Almost. As if the boiling rage he felt was all that could save him.

Kaiba held that rage tightly and dared to hope for a brief moment.

_Get away from him. Get away from all of it and be who you ARE. Make your own decisions. Prove them wrong as you always do, defy those who try to hold you back and rise up to take what you deserve. _

Then his body moved forward and rage collapsed in the face of desire. What did it matter who had done what to him? It had given him Pegasus; in fact, the whisper told him, he probably should be grateful instead. Kaiba wanted to crush that feeling but it was like a river swollen with water, spilling over the banks and refusing to be controlled. He felt furious that he couldn't control his desire but it burnt beyond his ability to stop it.

_RISE UP! TAKE IT! IGNORE HIM!_

It was burning him alive.

Then, he felt his final piece of hope melt away. As he'd resisted, so had his partner hesitated. He could feel it, Pegasus' timidity. And it had given him the hope that he could break away since he was only tenuously held.

That was before the kiss.

Kaiba felt the little control he did hold torn away from him. He thought he'd seen a way out and then a strong palm had pushed him back into the fire that threatened to engulf him. It was like a movie that Mokuba had forced him to watch a long time ago, something with a bunch of stupid animals. There had been a lion, clinging to a cliff, held on by another lion before being thrown and dropping to his death, being trampled underneath…

That was him, crushed beneath the waves of harsh, grating passion. He'd bled and Pegasus had licked it up. Before, whenever Pegasus had hesitated, he heard himself comforting Pegasus and taking him in whenever the other cried. While he'd been frustrated at the bewitchment forcing him to show affection, there had been a grim satisfaction in seeing that Pegasus was still the one who needed consolation, who needed to be held.

Those moments, stupid and sappy though they were, had allowed him to hold on, since they also meant that he still had a modicum of control. Even when he relinquished apparent dominance to Pegasus, Pegasus' weaknesses were still apparent. He was still needed.

The man above him, ripping into him and biting him, digging into him and making him bleed, didn't feel needy at all. He pushed and took and burned Seto inside and out with a ferocity he'd never seen Pegasus exhibit before.

Except…

Except that he had. Years ago.

On Duelist Kingdom.

_oh pegasus… _

The place where he'd lost, where he'd been unable to save his brother, unable to save himself. Duelist Kingdom, a place that still haunted him because it was the place where he discovered that he could lose. Over and over, and he depended on the actions of others to save him. Yami to duel Pegasus, Pegasus to keep his promise… nothing that he'd done had been able to make a difference against the other man. He couldn't win against Pegasus; he'd only been allowed to come out all right. Even that second duel – Pegasus had hardly cared and in the end he'd been the one to swoop in with the helicopter, jesting but also rescuing.

He did what Kaiba couldn't.

Kaiba's hope tumbled away from him and shattered like a bubble of glass, falling onto a floor. His own voice grew smaller and smaller, he grew smaller, dwarfed by the presence and the control that the man now revealed. The strong hand that pushed him onto the bed, that held him and shoved him, turned an invisible key and locked Kaiba away, suffocating and about to burn. He tried to escape yet now even his own prideful voice was telling him that it wasn't possible.

Not with Pegasus standing in his way.

_who are you… who am i…_

And then, the man… the being who rose to the surface in his place was discovering that he didn't mind at all. It had the voice of the whisper, only louder, and reiterated the fact that he was needed since nobody else would want him. All he had to do to be free forever was allow the blaze inside of him to take its course, to eradicate the one faint voice of dissent which kept him from fully embracing the man in front of him. He didn't even have to take action.

All he had to do was let whatever was left go up in flame.

_don't do this you can't, what about mokuba…_

Mokuba didn't need him. He had friends, the friends that Kaiba had always been unable to make and too proud to admit that he might have needed or wanted. Friends that Mokuba would rather be with, replacing him in the boy's life. So now nobody needed him. But this was about what he needed.

_don't you dare…_

Pegasus.

* * *

For the third time that morning, Seto snapped a pencil in half. He was agitated to the point where he was unable to do any work at all. He canceled his appointments but was still couldn't find any peace or calm himself down. Everything that could go wrong seemed to be doing exactly that.

He'd lost the necklace. As far back as he could remember, since he'd first gotten it, he couldn't remember allowing it out of his sight or touch for more than a few moments. It was on him always; yet now he couldn't find it. It was lost, and worse, it contained the picture of Pegasus. He missed the man and he couldn't even see him; worse yet, if someone else found the necklace, the truth would be known about them.

Seto shuddered.

Who knew what would happen if a scandal broke out? He might be forced to leave. Pegasus might not want him any more. He might…

It was too much to think about.

He had tried to contact Pegasus, to ask him if he'd seen Seto's locket, to ask his advice, or, at the very least, to gain comfort from hearing the other man's voice. But when he'd called, the CEO's secretary had told him in chilly tones that Pegasus had not come in that day. He hung up, feeling numb and frightened. His mind made up illogical but fearful scenarios that involved Pegasus bleeding on the side of the road or harmed where no one could find him or callously keeping himself from him…

With a push of a button, he had his limo called around. He told his secretary to take his calls since he would be going out for a while. He gave the man Pegasus' address, forgetting for the moment of how blatantly obvious he was being.

When they reached the familiar mansion, the gate swung open without question. The guard accepted the lie that Kaiba was bringing over necessary business documents that simply couldn't wait. After all, Pegasus hadn't given any particular instructions. He'd simply told his staff to go away.

The man warned Seto that he might not be welcome and the boy's fear grew. He had to find out what was wrong with Pegasus.

Leaving the limo behind and telling the chauffeur to wait in the car, he ran upstairs. He didn't even check the man's office, but instead ran straight up to Pegasus' bedroom. Much to his surprise the door was open. He twisted the knob and stumbled into the man's private sanctum.

Pegasus was crouched at the foot of the bed. He turned towards Seto and the younger man could see that his hazel eye was bloodshot from weeping. The man who looked up at Seto was a far cry from the smirking, confident sexual partner who had so forcefully drawn them together the previous night. Now his skin was streaked, not with light cuts but rather with tears. His body shook and his lower lip trembled as he tried to speak to Seto.

His knuckles were white and the younger man realized he was holding on to something tightly. When Pegasus saw where his eyes had drifted to, he started sobbing and Seto was at a loss as to what to do. He saw the object tumble from Pegasus' hands onto the floor, falling open when it hit.

The locket.

Bending over, Seto picked it up with a rush of relief, oblivious to Pegasus' pain.

"I'm sorry, Seto, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean for this to happen, for all of this…"

Seto gave him a dazed, bewildered smile.

"Thank you for finding this, I was wondering where it went." He watched Pegasus continue to cry and started to panic as he realized that he couldn't do anything about it, and that frightened him. He sat next to him, still smiling, looking at the picture. "Are you pleased with the picture? If you wanted to give me one personally I would like that even more…"

"Kaiba, what is _wrong_ with you?" Pegasus yelled at him. Fearful, Seto shrank back just slightly and looked at him, hurt. "What is wrong with you that you would replace Mokuba with a man you've been with less than a week?"

_what is wrong with you because you know it's something know it's everything…_

"I'm Seto. And I love you," he said timidly and hugged Pegasus arm. "I wanted to be able to see you always, to feel close to you…"

Pegasus sniffed audibly and coughed, his flow of tears abating at least temporarily.

"I know what's wrong. I made it wrong, everything's wrong… Kaiba hold me, please hold me…"

The boy drew back from him and brought his knees to his chest. He looked at Pegasus warily. He should be able to hold him. This man was weak and he needed somebody, he needed the spine he didn't have. If only Kaiba could provide reassurance he could show that he was in control…

And yet he couldn't. Broken and burnt… he was weaker.

Weaker.

_made it wrong he said he made it wrong is it possible could it be that…_

Kaiba thought for a moment that he was on to something. But then the roof above him caved in, in a flurry of sparks, and he knew that it didn't matter, not when Pegasus was crying and Seto was too lost and confused to know how to make the pain stop. He was immobilized with… something, something larger than himself that he could not understand and that shook him to his core.

Quietly, tears in his own eyes, he crawled onto Pegasus' lap and clutched at Pegasus for… for who knew what. Safety. Comfort. Anything to take away the fear and confusion. Pegasus convulsed with tears and Seto could feel the hot droplets when they hit his skin. Pegasus' hand slid up and down, rubbing his arm as Seto clutched the locket.

"I poisoned you," Pegasus wept.

Seto couldn't even remember to be angry.

* * *

The driver did not stay put. He did not remain at the mansion. Instead, he watched his employer leave and then drove off to a nearby restaurant where there was another man waiting with a pencil and a pad.

He had some glossies that revealed some interesting sights. Interesting patterns. And an awful lot of money. With the promise of anonymity.

Over a tuna on white, a nameless suit tugged at the unraveling threads of a life that was Seto Kaiba's.

* * *

There you go. Next chapter, more Pegasus. Hope you enjoyed and as always…

Constructive criticism, if you would.


	7. Choosing

Glad that so many of you still like this story. In response to the one review…

Am I making Pegasus too feminine? I personally feel that he's effusive enough in the series to be considered feminine. However, I want to be in keeping as closely as possible to how he is in his unguarded moments. Was it just the one comment? Or is his personality really too far off the mark? One said it was a poor characterization but another disagreed so I'm just asking to make sure I'm staying on track.

Anywho.

Let's get this party started.

* * *

Pegasus knew in the back of his mind that, however bewildered Kaiba was, it was an unequivocally bad idea to explicitly confess to him what he'd done. Nevertheless, seeing him a remnant of the person he'd used to be had shaken Pegasus deeply and he couldn't keep the words of regret from crossing his lips.

"I poisoned you."

Because that's what it was, wasn't it? Kaiba drank and then died. Perhaps not physically, but anything that was really and truly Kaiba had suffocated or rotted, been leeched out of him by the concoction. No court could ever convict him but that didn't erase his guilt.

Hiccupping with tears and still stroking Seto's arm, Pegasus looked up and was taken off guard by the sight of a portrait of his wife. A sudden wave of nausea crashed over him as he realized that her still and silent gaze had been witness to all of it, the entire sordid travesty playing out before her sightless eyes. Flooded with shame, he pushed of Kaiba who remained on the floor, looking up at him with hurt eyes, as he stood and brushed himself off.

"Peega-sama?"

The use of the diminutive of his name was unaccountably revolting. Everything about their relationship was. In fact, he thought bitterly, calling it a relationship would be a bit of a stretch. More like slavery… Slavery for sex, forgetting all of the promises he'd made to his first love simply because he couldn't stand being along any long. Solitude had been driving him out of his mind, being locked in a tomb covered in pictures, eroding at his patience and self-control until he needed to sate himself on the beauty he saw and admired daily.

He gorged himself on Kaiba and had thus ruined him, like a child who admired flowers ripping up the entire bed of them, trying to capture their loveliness when in reality all they were doing was shredding the petals and creating a bed of dirt and mud. He'd taken such a bloom, exquisite and fierce, then de-thorned it and torn it apart.

"Get out. Not now, Seto," he replied more coldly than he wanted. When tears welled in the boys eyes, he harshly reminded himself that the boy's condition was his fault and that this was therefore his responsibility. Offering his hand, he helped him up. His eye softened and he gave him a faint, twisted smile. "I… I still want you," he assured him. "I'm just having a bad day. I need to be alone."

Kaiba hung his head but nodded, still clutching the necklace he'd come fore.

"I'm glad you understand… you'd best get back to your company." He tried to force a chuckle. "You know what a group of incompetents they are without you."

He pushed Kaiba towards the door and the other made no move to stop him. He stumbled but turned to him one last time.

"Can I come back soon?"

Pegasus hesitated.

"Soon. I will tell you when. Until then… don't contact me. Don't do anything. OK?"

A sigh.

"Yes. OK."

Looking around to make sure that no one would see them, he kissed Seto's cheek quickly and lightly.

"Don't worry. It's a bad day, that's all. Not your fault. Now hurry."

The CEO went down the stairs and as he descended he heard the door shut behind him. Pegasus twisted the lock and felt it slide into place with a heavy 'click.' Miserable, he averted his eyes from Cyndia's picture, reflecting with self-loathing that he wasn't even able to watch him leave. Even the boy's presence was enough to make him feel overwhelming guilt and remorse, reminding him that he'd made a problem he couldn't fix.

* * *

By the time Kaiba returned to the limousine, the driver was already waiting. There was no immediate indication that he'd ever been anywhere. It wasn't until the next morning that the effects of his action came into play.

* * *

Pegasus had gone to the office the following day, feeling that nothing could be worse than the previous day's compunction and shame. Then he'd seen the tabloid headlines and the ground beneath him lurched, threatening to throw him off balance.

"The Secret Life of Domino's CEOs: Lasciviousness, Lies and Midnight Liaisons"

He flushed and determined that he would not be seen buying a copy. He blustered into the office, heading past the secretary on his way in.

"Good morning, sir," she said with a nod.

"Hardly," he replied in a biting tone.

"Oh," she said mildly. "I guess you saw the paper on the way in."

He turned to her, his cheeks red with fury and his hand trembling as it clutched his briefcase.

"Yes. I did. How could they say such… such filthy things!"

She shrugged.

"It's just the Sun, sir. Nothing to get worked up about. They see two people walking together and they contrive something. Nobody ever takes them seriously."

He wanted to believe this, but he felt like the mere fact that they'd been connected to one another in such a way boded ill. What if someone read it and took it seriously? What if a more prominent, respectable paper picked up on their trail? Had he not been careful enough covering their tracks?

Part of him wanted to ignore it; but another part knew he could not.

"I want a copy of that paper on my desk in fifteen minutes," he told her curtly. "I will see what lies they are spreading."

She shrugged.

"If you like." She gave him a brief, painted smile. "If it's bad enough, maybe you could sue – not that you'd need the money, just, you know – for your reputation."

His reputation. He jabbed the button for the elevator and felt a desire to laugh. Oh yes, his reputation. If anything that made the entire situation worse. After Duelist Kingdom speculation had run rampant. After all, why DID an unreasonably rich man invite a boatload of young boys to a private island, miles away from anywhere populated? Combined with the way he dressed, comparisons to Neverland and the so-called 'King of Pop' were numerous and frequent.

Such speculation had died for a time when he'd retreated following Bakura's attack and the Battle City tournament. Besides, the obvious grief for his late wife had allowed those who knew him more closely to brush off any conjectures regarding pedophilia or even those rumors suggesting he preferred the company of men.

His overbearing devotion to Cyndia had made hiding his bisexuality a relatively simple matter. So long as people assumed he still thought of her, nobody noticed him staring obsessively at Kaiba; or even watching Siegfried or Yakou a little too closely at meetings. The rabble on the streets might talk but there had never been any solid evidence to suggest that he was anything except a bereaved widower.

Minutes after he'd sat down in his chair behind his desk, the secretary entered with the paper. He brushed her away and read the article, skipping over the usual fare of Elvis sightings and alien births.

The article wasn't incredible accurate, not really. After all, it was fair to say that Kaiba was probably not an android and he himself had a taste for frilly but was not a cross dresser and most certainly not a woman. Even so, there were enough details slipped in between the lines to make him uneasy. Particulars mentioning their 'meetings,' Kaiba's seemingly besotted state, calling him 'Seto' and Kaiba's strange behaviors of late.

Completely unsettled, he threw the entire tabloid into the waste paper basket next to his desk.

He didn't need this… not now.

With the paper itself cleared away it wasn't until later in the day that he even thought of it again. He managed to push it, and his accompanying fears, out of his mind until the end of the day. As he left, his eyes fell of the picture they'd printed of Seto Kaiba and a cold coil wrapped around his heart when he realized that the other might have very well seen the story too.

He took in a sharp breath, wondering how Kaiba had reacted if he'd seen the paper. What if he'd said something? What if he affirmed the story? Even a reaction might give them away, betray the kernel of truth behind the lies the writers had tacked on to the tale. Kaiba was already unstable and lacked his characteristic reserve.

What if he didn't understand what was at stake? What if he didn't care?

Biting his lip to the point of making it bleed he watched the streets of Domino roll by as his driver took him home. He anxiously locked himself in the privacy of his room and dialed the other man's cell phone with his own.

"Seto?" He asked hesitantly.

"Pega–"

"Seto," he cut him off. "Are you alone?"

"Yes," he replied hesitantly. "I'm in my office at home. Why?"

"Did you see the paper?"

"Yes, I was wondering…"

"Did you say anything?" He interjected sharply.

"No!" Kaiba gasped. "I… I didn't know what you'd want me to say so I just looked away and didn't say anything about it. You weren't there so I didn't know what I should do…"

The last statement brought back the nausea of fault but the rush of relief that Pegasus felt nearly brushed it out of the way. If he snubbed it, people would think it was classic Kaiba. Seto Kaiba would never react to such a thing. The opinions of other people were below him. They were not even worth paying attention to.

At least… that's the way it was.

"Good." He replied curtly. "See that you snub it. Don't let anybody know anything. As far as you are concerned the story is a lie."

"Yes but…"

"But what?"

"Are you ashamed of me?" He asked quietly.

Pegasus paused.

"It's… complicated."

"Oh."

Sighing miserably, he wanted to end the conversation before anything else unfortunate happened.

"Everything… everything will be clear soon," he finished blandly.

"Really?" He responded more brightly. "Then don't worry. You can depend on me – I won't let anybody find out anything."

The call went dead and Pegasus pressed the end button then snapped it shut with a sick feeling. He saw now that no matter how hard he tried, no matter what he did, word was going to eventually get out. And when it did, when they were accused, he asked himself if he could say in public, in front of Kaiba and the world, the truth.

If he owned up to even a relationship – let alone to what he'd done – the scandal would be tremendous. They would be accused of favoritism, illegitimate deals, not to mention the stigma of impropriety… And because Kaiba saw only him, only cared about Pegasus' pale affections, he wouldn't care a bit, wouldn't suffer from seeing their lives fall apart under the accusations and public humiliation. He might lose Mokuba, his company, everything… and it would all be to him like a brief shower of rain.

Converse, if he denied Kaiba in front of all, lied and said that he despised him personally or that he didn't care or that Kaiba wasn't anything to him, could he bear the responsibility? After all, he would be watched closely following such a denial and couldn't afford to continue the relationship. It would have to end, and end it would – messily with no reconciliation, no gentle parting. Kaiba would continue to want him – and perhaps he would even want Kaiba – but their separation would be forced and permanent with a veneer of hatred that Kaiba would believe.

The effects would be personally disastrous to the boy. He might very well fall apart emotionally and even render the denial useless. People might assume it was unrequited love but even if they did, who knew what Kaiba might do? What if he developed an addiction in Pegasus' stead? What if he allowed himself to go to pot?

What if he committed suicide?

Either of the outcomes weighed heavily on Pegasus. He didn't know what he could do at this point. To continue or to not continue, it was a catch twenty-two. They were ruined either way. Unless… unless…

Faint hope was all he had. But it was better than nothing.

He redialed Kaiba.

"Seto?" He breathed in relief when he picked up. "Meet me at the corner of Fourth and Main. Tell no one where you are going. Dress… low key. I will meet you there."

He wasn't questioned and he didn't mind. He got up and told his own driver a non-specific location at which to leave him. There wasn't much hope of hiding for much longer…

But perhaps there was a solution – some solution, _any_ solution – back at the place where all of the trouble began.

* * *

Hope everybody enjoyed the chapter! Remember – critical reviews if you would. It all helps. And as mentioned, a revision of a couple of the earlier chapters is coming soon. No big changes, just a slight shift to set things in order and make everything align. The next chapter is going to be a big one too - Kaiba's POV and very important, so if you're keeping up with this you can look forward to it.

And that's enough out of me. :) Again – review if you liked, or even if you didn't, just tell me what to work on.


	8. Raging

Alright, this chapter should start to shake things up a little. I hope you all continue to enjoy and if you do please leave a review – I really do appreciate long, thorough ones that give me feedback on how to improve. :) Thanks.

Enjoy.

* * *

Seto met Pegasus at the corner and Pegasus dragged him by the hand to the shop where the potion had been purchases. His erratic behavior confused Kaiba but he had a feeling buried inside of him that many things were about to be made clear. In the back of his mind the pieces were beginning to come together that were telling him that Pegasus had been the guilty part from the start.

They soon came to the small shop and Seto entered. The shop was dank and filled with a number of dusty shelves crammed with bottles. The same woman sat behind the desk as she always did, preoccupied with one task or another. Pegasus ran up to the counter and slammed his hands on it.

"Fix him!" He screamed.

She looked at him calmly and Kaiba teetered on the precipice of revelation.

"Are you not happy with your results?"

"No! Of course I'm… I mean… it's just that…"

She nodded at his inability to get the words out.

"I know. Not what you thought you wanted. Well, perhaps it is and perhaps it isn't. I do deliver the product for which I have been paid, Mr. Crawford. Never doubt that. My potions work precisely as I promise they do. One way or another."

She stood and searched a wall behind her for a bottle.

"Please, do something. Anything. I know you said it was irreversible…"

"You say you are dissatisfied? Well then. Perhaps I can do something for you. You are willing to face the consequences?"

"Yes!"

"You weren't from your previous purchase."

"But I am now!" He reasoned. "Anything is better than this, just please!"

Kaiba felt frozen in place to the floor. All of his underlying suspicions were confirmed. He was at fault. He'd done something to him, something that even Kaiba's stubborn refusal to believe in the supernatural could over come. And now he was begging, as he always did, pleading for someone other than himself to make things right, refusing to stand up and solve a problem on his own.

Typical Pegasus. Disgusting.

He couldn't move but it almost felt like here, in the shop, the control was starting to erode away. It was as though he was finally reaching the end of the long, dark tunnel he'd been forced to traverse.

"Well, the potion's effects are irreversible. But I think this might help…"

"How can it?" Pegasus moaned. "If it's irreversible…"

She smiled.

"Oh, somehow it will. You might not understand it, but someone will… someday…"

Kaiba could have sworn she smiled at him with a look in her eyes. She then selected a bottle from the shelf and walked over to Seto. She uncorked it and handed it to him.

"Drink this," she ordered and he could not have possibly disobeyed.

The fluid slid down his throat and felt like it was acid, burning his tissue as it went. However, as soon as it hit his stomach, he felt like a fog had cleared in his head. He could move again – his body responded to his orders – and could think for himself. He saw how clearly he'd despised every one of his actions over the past few weeks. He saw what a mess had been made of things.

And most of all, a great and monstrous anger grew towards the man whom he knew was at fault.

His gaze snapped towards Pegasus and he saw the other man whiten like a sheet. His pulse started to beat faster as he saw fear dawn in the man's eyes, as though he knew that there would be no escape from the vengeance that Kaiba was about to bring down upon him. Kaiba's smirk twisted so much that it became a feral grin and his blood raced as he grabbed the man by the throat.

"So Pegasus…" he grinned. "Never expected this did you?"

"Kaiba?" He whispered.

"That's right," he replied, and threw Pegasus to the ground. He stepped on the man's chest and pressed hard with his foot. "You thought you were so clever, that you had it all planned out… You made me look like a fool, made me do things I never would have done… and I HATE being made to look like a fool.

Well now your day has come, you great incompetent blubbering fag. You thought you could control me? You thought you could trap me? I'm going to fucking break you. From now on your life will be a nightmare personally orchestrated by me." He took his foot off. "Now get up you flamboyant piece of shit."

Pegasus got to his feet shakily and looked at Kaiba, mesmerized. He seemed caught between the desire to run and the need to stay, to finish with whatever was going to happen.

Kaiba turned towards the woman who was once more behind the counter.

"Whatever he used on me, whatever poison it was, I want it," Kaiba demanded.

She nodded and produced another bottle of it.

"I'll need some hair," she said, handing him scissors.

He clipped off a lock and gave it too her, then took the potion once it was adjusted.

"You fucked with me, now I'm going to do it to you… only I'm never going to be so stupid as to go back on this in the first place. I'm going to trap you for the rest of your damn life and make it hell until you die…" He advanced on Pegasus menacingly, then grabbed him by the shirt and forced him into an unshelved part of wall. He pried his mouth open with one hand, uncorked the bottle with his thumb, and started to pour the new potion in with the other.

"Drink it," he growled. "Drink it all you flouncing slut, I will make you fucking swallow every last drop…"

The undiluted potion flowed into his mouth until he started to choke on it. He sank lower and lower, until he was on his knees, but still Kaiba forced more of the liquid into him. It flowed down the side of his mouth and he gasped and sputtered for air until Kaiba dropped the empty bottle and he collapsed onto his hands, coughing uncontrollably.

Then all of the anger and rage at his inability to fight the spell boiled up in Kaiba all at once. His face grew red and his eyes burnt with rage towards the man lying on the floor in front of him. He took him by the collar and began to beat him about the face until small trickles of blood were flowing down from his nose and bruises were beginning to show on the flesh.

"I love you…" Pegasus whispered.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He screamed.

Dumping him on the floor, he kicked him again and again until Pegasus was moaning in pain. Though he couldn't be sure, he could guess that more than a few ribs had cracked and perhaps even his arms or legs. However, he was still angry and out of control; Pegasus started to crawl towards him and so he kicked him repeatedly. The process repeated itself a few more times.

"You stupid idiot," he panted, beginning to tire from releasing so much energy all at once. "You stupid idiot, you should fight back. But you can't, can you?" He grinned in an unhinged way. "You'll sit there and take it again and again and again…"

He punctuated each 'again' with another kick and blood from his face spattered on the floor.

To the side, the woman watched all of it without comment. Kaiba saw her and went over to the counter, grabbed the scissors an dcut off another lock of hair.

"I want another bottle of it," he demanded.

She nodded, took the hair and prepared it. He then grabbed it and ordered Pegasus to open his mouth as he lay there on her floor. Pegasus looked at his, his eye beginning to swell, and obeyed. Kaiba poured it on him, getting some in his mouth and much of it all over his face. Then he smashed the bottle with a smooth downward motion and knelt next to Pegasus. He picked up a shard from the floor and leaned in.

"I'll bet you can guess what I'm going to do with this, can't you, you flaming bitch?" He drew it across Pegasus' cheek and a line of blood spurted up from where he had cut. "Does it hurt? Do you want to cry? You're always crying. Cry for me now." He slapped him. "I said CRY, damn it!"

Tears began to flow from his one undamaged eye, running down his face and getting salt into the cuts Kaiba was making all over. Kaiba dug the glass into his, watching him bleed and smearing him with the blood. At last, his frenzy abated and he dropped the glass. Pegasus looked up at him, beaten and bloody, then stood and embraced Kaiba, weeping into his shoulder.

Kaiba's eyes were still cold with fury.

"You damn fool."

"I love you," Pegasus responded between the tears.

The woman cleared her throat.

"Now that you are both through, would you kindly leave? I do have other things to be getting on with, you know."

Kaiba looked at her.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with him? I can't very well walk out into the street with him… like this."

She nodded and stood, gathered a few powders and mixed them, then dissolved them in water and fed the drink again to Pegasus.

"There," she replied. "No one will see you take him back. No one will wonder where he has gone. It will be as though he has disappeared. Nobody will look; nobody will care."

A confused look crossed the younger man's face.

"But how did you know that I was considering…"

"I have my ways, sir. I would not be a very good businesswoman if I did not. As I said – it is all taken care of."

"What about payment?" He asked suspiciously.

She smiled in an odd way that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

"Do not worry about compensation. That had already been taken care of."

He nodded and wondered what she meant. However he didn't take long to ponder it. Instead, he called his own limo driver and had Pegasus brought back to his own home.

* * *

Once at the Kaiba mansion, Kaiba forced Pegasus into his own room and locked the door. He had quickly ordered Pegasus to distance himself from him and refused to let him touch him at all, which seemed to cause the man to tremble a great deal. Even so, Pegasus remained fairly silent. He followed and obeyed without question and Kaiba noticed his eye was growing steadily duller as though he had no will of his own left.

Which might have been altogether true.

Once they were in Kaiba's bedroom, the animalistic grin returned again and after the lock was in place, Kaiba took out a roll of duct tape.

"Tables have turned, haven't they," he laughed. Then, with rough, harsh motions, he stripped Pegasus naked and bound his hands and feet together with the tape. Yet through it all the other made no motion of resistance or complaint. "That's right," Kaiba said as he tore off another piece. "Be a good little bitch… the worthless whore you know you are…"

When he'd finished binding him Kaiba proceeded to force himself on Pegasus over and over again until the man's body shuddered beneath him from pain and fatigue. The wounds from earlier split open again and tears of pain fell onto the bed.

"Had enough?" Kaiba grunted. "Yes that's right… I'm going to do this over and over, as much as I want… because that's what you're here for, to please me, satisfy me, and I can do whatever I want with you…"

He finished, then turned Pegasus over and ripped off the tape. It left bright red marks where it had been and caused Pegasus to cry out when it was torn off of his skin. When the job was complete, he fell onto the bed, beaten beyond all recognition. Then with a heave, Kaiba pushed him off of the bed and onto the floor where he landed in a crumpled heap.

"Dogs don't get to sleep on the bed, you prissy little poodle," Kaiba sneered.

Pegasus curled up at the foot of the bed and finally fell unconscious. Kaiba went to sleep feeling sated and pleased that he could now move on and have the situation exactly as he wanted it. He could do whatever he wanted to Pegasus and nobody need ever find out. He could rape him, beat him, abuse him, and nobody would ever care.

The man was his to punish and his to exploit.

In his thrill of vengeful pleasure, he forgot about the mystery of the fee of which the woman had spoken.

* * *

And that's it. Quite a turning point – I hope you enjoyed. Remember – input, input, input. I'm not averse to rewriting. And I'll have the next chapter in Pegasus' point of view out as quickly as I can.

But basically – review. If you would. :) Thanks.


	9. Yielding

Getting closer to the finish, folks. Another chapter, another shift in POV – we're back to Pegasus again.

Enjoy.

* * *

* * *

Pegasus had remembered his desperation when he'd seen the way Kaiba had been broken and his joy at seeing the boy's true personality resurface had been exponentially greater. His mistake hadn't been permanent. He hadn't ruined the boy for life.

Oh, he'd seen the murderous look in his eyes. He knew, vaguely, what was coming. Kaiba wasn't stupid. He'd known – perhaps even for quite a while – that it was his fault. And Kaiba always was one for reciprocation. The viciousness of the reprisal was not only expected but even seemed appropriate as a consequence for his actions.

Though he knew it would hurt, Pegasus found that he couldn't move. He watched, as if from outside of a window, as Kaiba grabbed him, beat him and finally gave him a taste of his own medicine – quite literally. He didn't even get the chance to tell Kaiba that he didn't have to, that it wasn't necessary.

He would have obeyed him, regardless.

* * *

* * *

Once people called him a genius of game design and a master duelist.

But those days were numbered from the start and dwindled and were gone, gone without him even realizing they were counting inevitably down. They reached zero and a new count started, of days in his new life, stretching inexorably forward into an endless murky future. Even if he had been able to count those days, Pegasus would have probably lost track. As it is, he cannot count them – or count anything else – very well. In fact, he doesn't do anything very well any more. His eyes are empty and his mind dull and simple.

Once he'd gone around the world. He'd been many, many places. All over America. Europe. Japan. Egypt.

Now his world has shrunk to the circumference of a single room – the bedroom of Seto Kaiba. He never leaves this place, yet he does not wish to leave it. This is the only place he feels safe and he will not stray from it unless Seto Kaiba wishes it.

Seto Kaiba never wishes it.

So now he sits at the foot of the bed all day. Which isn't so bad. Because sometimes Seto Kaiba makes him stand and stand, and sometimes he makes him stand in dark, cramped places like the closet. And then his legs hurt from standing up so much and he wants to pass out. Sometimes he does – but not often because when he does, he falls and then he can't stand like Seto Kaiba wants him to.

It's not so hard to fulfill Kaiba's wishes sitting. Sitting is much easier.

Even though he stays in place – because he is good and obedient, just like he ought to be – sometimes Seto Kaiba chains him up. He chains him up even though Pegasus would _never_ run. Pegasus looks at him with a gaze that begs not to be chained but then Seto Kaiba grins and takes out the manacles. And when he places them on, Pegasus sits very still and lets him without complaint.

Of course, sometimes that upsets Kaiba too. He grows red and screams and asks why Pegasus lets him and why Pegasus doesn't fight back. This confuses Pegasus because it seems opposite of what Kaiba wants. He can't sort out the confusion so he sits and does nothing. Even if he fought being chained, he wouldn't win.

He doesn't want to fight.

Nevertheless, he doesn't like the chains very much. They are often too tight and they chafe his skin until it's red and broken. And they don't let him move very far at all. Since he is tied up early in the morning and Kaiba does not come home until late in the evening, he doesn't get very much to eat and he can't get to the bathroom. He tries to hold it, so that he doesn't mess up the carpet, but sometimes he can't. He makes a mess and when Kaiba comes home he is ashamed.

Whenever he does something that he knows will upset Kaiba, even if he can't help it, he cries and scrunches into a little ball. Kaiba comes home and hits him then, but that's okay, because he is bad and he needs to be hit. Since nobody comes there but Kaiba that means that when he ruins something, it is Kaiba who must clean it up or fix it, or at least force Pegasus to do it, supervising him. Seto Kaiba's day is hard enough and he should be punished for making it that much harder.

It's only fair.

So he unfolds himself and lets Kaiba hit him; and even though it hurts it makes him happy because it makes Seto Kaiba happy and that is all that matters. Kaiba grins and his eyes shine when he punishes him. Then he looks at Pegasus in disgust and tells him to go away – but he can't, not really. That's when Pegasus hides in the corner of the room and tries to make as little noise as possible.

He doesn't want to disturb Kaiba.

Sometimes after he's been hurt or has bled or soiled himself or has been crying, Seto looks at him with different eyes. He calls him stupid – because he is – and then picks him up and drags him to the bathroom and bathes him and washes off all of the disgusting grime and touches him softly and wraps his wounds and numbs the pain. When that look is in his eyes Pegasus is especially happy. He nuzzles Seto and does not get slapped or pushed away.

"Who's my good boy?"

He looks at him with a soft, brown eye and curls up against him. Seto's body radiates warmth and he knows he safe and that only Seto can make him safe. That's why he belongs to Seto, because nobody else would want him, because nobody else cares. Occasionally, when he's in these moods, Seto even lets him sleep in the big, soft bed and gives him extra food and plays with him and kisses him and touches him gently in the night. Pegasus enjoys the times when Seto is warm and invites him in. Of course, he knows that afterwards he will be beaten once more, twice as severely. Kaiba will scream and tell him how worthless he is and tells him that he doesn't know why he even takes care of him.

But the yelling means that someone is paying attention and the blows mean that he is not yet forgotten. Even if it is just to pet and slap, sodomize and starve, Seto Kaiba does not cast him away. He yells and screams, but in the end he hides him from the ugly world outside and lets him stay. In the end he is with Seto and he is wanted.

Nobody else would ever want him.

Pegasus knows this because he knows he is disobedient and stupid and slow. He cries too much; but that's OK for Kaiba because Kaiba likes to see him cry. He doesn't have to hide around Kaiba. Kaiba knows all his faults and still takes him in and doesn't turn him away. What else could that be but love?

Not only is he stupid but he is also quite ugly. He doesn't get enough to eat so he is very thin now. His skin is white and full of bruises and scars. The scars go all over his body and make him utterly hideous. The socket where his left eye once was is an open sore and Kaiba has hacked off his hair so that it no longer covers it up. He is shabby and gaunt.

There's no one alive who would want such a creature – no one except Seto Kaiba.

Of course, there was someone. A long time ago, there might have been someone, a lovely blond someone. But now he does not think of her. He cannot even remember her, in fact. The liquid slid down his throat and splashed inside of him and Seto Kaiba grew larger and larger until he filled Pegasus' whole mind and being and drove away any thoughts of another.

Seto Kaiba is his world now and there is no other.

Such is the new life of Pegasus J. Crawford.

* * *

* * *

Nearly two months on, Pegasus woke up feeling sore and heard a soft groan coming from the bed next to him. He stood, painfully, and looked over to see Seto Kaiba, pale and ill. He frowned and began to feel vaguely uneasy.

Nobody ever came in the room except Seto Kaiba. Seto Kaiba had locked the door. He had the only key. Pegasus had heard him telling the staff over the phone to leave for the weekend. He wanted to be alone. He always wanted to be alone – except that when he was, he was with Pegasus.

But now he was looking ashen and sick and Pegasus was feeling worried. He did not know what to do or how to get out or anything save that Seto Kaiba was in pain, had become sick since the previous evening. Even so, instinct seemed to kick in and he roused himself.

Though he was underdressed and cold, he moved about in the wan light of the heavily curtained room, whose windows were never uncovered, and wet towels in the bathroom. He laid them softly over Seto Kaiba's forehead. He held water to his mouth and got him tissues, covered him when he shivered and dabbed his head when he was sweating.

"What the fuck are you doing, idiot?" He had mumbled once, looking at the man warily with eyes glassy and bloodshot.

Pegasus smiled at him with his adoring, vacant smile and kissed his forehead.

He held the wastepaper basket for him when he retched and wiped his mouth off, not minding when it got on him. He helped him to the bathroom, led him back to the bed, watched over him quietly until he was exhausted and did the best he could with what he had, without really understanding how yet knowing very well why.

Seto Kaiba drifted in and out of sleep, but the illness passed quickly. The next morning he was well enough to take care of himself and bathed, left the room, ate and made himself presentable. He went into his home study and began doing the work from home he'd meant to do the previous day, trying his hardest to get caught up on the time he'd lost.

At the foot of the bed, Pegasus lay, forgotten. He coughed and heaved, having caught the same fever that Kaiba had. His skin burnt as if on fire and the little sleep he got was fitful.

Through the length of the day, nobody came, nobody helped, nobody touched him. Nobody at all.

But that was ok.

He deserved it.

Then at night Seto entered in and he looked up at him and smiled.

"I love you," he whispered, before passing out.

* * *

* * *

Angsty cliffie! Next chapter – Kaiba's POV. Until the next time.


	10. Talking

Another Seto chapter in which things will finally begin to come clear. Those of you who have questions just might find a few answered.

Though now that the end is in sight, plot bunnies and suggestions for future works are welcome.

Enjoy.

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* * *

The morning after the first night that Seto had held Pegasus captive in his home, he wasn't sure what to expect when he went in to work. He couldn't have anybody finding out what he'd done to the fellow CEO so he'd turned to that witch for help. However, the solution she presented seemed almost too convenient and he wasn't sure he trusted her.

After all, how could people just forget? How could a human disappear, as if he'd never been in the first place?

He went up to his secretary and asked her a question, feeling just slightly tense.

"Do I have any upcoming meetings with I2?" He asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "In fact, the president is waiting for you now."

"What?" He gasped.

"He came by this morning. Said he had something important to talk to you about, that it couldn't wait. I let him go up. Are you entirely alright, sir?" She asked, noticing he had gone slightly pale.

"I'm fine," he snapped and marched to the elevator.

On the way up, uncertainty plagued his thoughts. The president? Wasn't that Pegasus? Perhaps there was an interim president. What if the urgent subject he'd come to discuss was Pegasus' disappearance? Could he keep up a charade or would his guilt and the trace clues lead inevitably back to that locked room at the end of the hallway?

He reached the door and grasped the handle, twisting it so that it swung open.

A silver-haired man sat in the chair before his desk and stood.

"Hello, Kaiba," said Tenma Yakou casually. "I hope you don't think me rude for stopping by this early…"

"You're Pegasus' replacement?" Kaiba interrupted.

A confused look crossed the other man's face.

"What? Who? Kaiba what on earth are you talking about? I just came by to talk to you about a few licensing issues."

His throat went dry.

"Oh. Sorry. I'm… a bit tired."

Tenma regarded him warily.

"I can see that? What were you doing all night?" A grin crossed his face. "I'll bet I can guess…"

"Don't," Kaiba snapped and sat down at his desk, using the furniture as a barrier between himself and the other man.

Yakou shrugged.

"You're right. Not my business. Moving on…"

He went on to talk about a few last minute changes that needed Kaiba's approval before they could begin advertising in other countries. Logos were involved as well as certain programs, but none of it really seemed to impact Kaiba.

What mattered to him was the surprised with which Tenma had reacted at the mention of Pegasus. Before, as he recalled, the younger man practically adored his corporate superior and looked upon him with the highest regard. It was as if the other man didn't even remember him, which shouldn't have been possible. Not with someone like Yakou. He wouldn't have forgotten. It was as if Pegasus had never been was totally erased.

Nobody would remember – which meant that nobody would come looking.

He really was free to do whatever he pleased with Pegasus. Yet the thought of that was simultaneously liberating and terrifying. It made him feel almost nauseous to think of what that woman could do and how she could alter the shape and perception of the reality around them.

It was downright unnatural – but that didn't mean he wasn't going to take advantage of the situation.

When he got home, taking advantage of everything was precisely what he did. Once he'd realized that nobody would nose around, all manner of strange ideas popped into his head. Before then, he'd never really known how deranged he could be, what deep and inappropriate desires lurked beneath his repressed surface. He started to covertly purchase a variety of accessories to use during their nightly forays. Pegasus never objected, though he sometimes had to be instructed.

Ever since he'd swallowed the potion, he'd been extraordinarily submissive, to the point where he was almost like a doll. For some reason Kaiba relished that image and he decided that it was only appropriate to dress him like one as well. He bought dresses – fluffy, ribbony ones – and forced Pegasus into the outfits, complete with lace stockings and clunky shoes. He used make-up and applied it to the other man, painting him brashly like a cheap whore. He chained him up but soon found that the man's utter lack of resistance was beginning to bother him.

He tried to see if he could get the man to not love him. So he forced upon him every indignity he could think of, first for revenge, then his own amusement and finally to try and get him to grow a spine. But through all of it, Pegasus docilely accepted whatever was done to him so that all that was left for Kaiba was the pleasure of the act itself.

Being dominant seemed almost a waste with him.

Kaiba first began to suspect that something was awry around then, after his lust for revenge had finally died down and he was beginning to get frustrated with the ease with which he could take what he wanted. Not that he didn't enjoy the sex… the problem was that he'd always found a certain joy in the chase, even if resistance was feigned.

Now Pegasus was just… there. Dull and lifeless.

He really didn't know what to make of it.

When he found himself ill and realized that Pegasus was taking care of him, he suddenly felt revolted as well. What was he doing, wasting his life on a man who could do nothing but smile at him with empty pleasantness? Was he that pathetic that he would resort to needing someone so unresisting, even to the point of being cared for by him?

He'd left Pegasus alone, trying to drive thoughts of the man and his own increasing obsession with him from his mind. Then he reached home and found Pegasus lying on the floor, obviously extremely ill.

"I love you."

At those simply words Kaiba felt a sudden crush of responsibility, not unlike the one Pegasus had.

"No you don't…" he whispered dryly. "You don't do anything. Not love or hate or anything, do you? You've no will at all…"

Against his better judgment he found that he couldn't simply allow the man to die right then and there. He didn't know why – it wasn't as if anybody cared if Pegasus lived or died – but he could not. He couldn't say whether it was from a desire not to lose his own personal sex slave, the one he could beat, or the result of something more, but he placed him on the bed and called the woman.

After all, he couldn't contact a doctor. She was really his only possibility.

He drove himself to the shop in one of the smaller cars and was unsurprised to find her waiting.

"I need you," he told her abruptly.

"I expected as much," she replied.

He ignored the slightly condescending tone of her voice and continued.

"Pegasus is very ill. I don't know with what, but he is and I need you to cure him. You'll have to come with me," he said, ordering it though realizing that she might refuse to come.

He didn't know what he'd do if she did.

That problem never became an issue, however. She gathered a few supplies and then went with him in his car to the Kaiba Mansion. She looked at the man lying in the large bed with an appraising glance before turning to the man who'd brought her there.

"He has pneumonia."

"Can you fix it?" He demanded.

"Of course."

She set up a little warmer and started to boil ingredients, adding pinches and drops of this or that to the slightly bubbly mixture. As she prepared the concoction, Kaiba suddenly looked at her curiously.

"What did you mean when you told me before that my debt was paid?"

"Just that it was taken care of," she replied casually.

"By whom?" He insisted.

"A previous customer," she said, adding something that caused the mixture to briefly smoke. "I will repeat as I did to Pegasus – I always complete the job I've been paid to do."

"And what job would that be?" He growled.

She didn't reply but instead turned of the electric warmer. Stirring the mixture a few times, she waited until it had slightly cooled and then poured it down Pegasus' throat. He groaned and rolled over.

"There," she said. "That will clear up the pneumonia and there's a little bit in there to balance him as well."

"Balance him?" He asked.

"Yes; you did quite a number on him."

"How so?" He mused. Suddenly, he grew angry with the woman. "Look, I've had just about enough of this cryptic bullshit. I don't care who you are – you're not leaving until you've explained yourself and what you've been doing to us. Why is he like this? I wasn't this bad. What the fuck is wrong with him that he can barely even talk now?"

He stood brashly between her and the doorway but she didn't seem nervous in the least. Instead, she calmly responded.

"With you," she informed him, "There was resistance. With him, there was not. To give that potion to one who is already quite enamored, especially in the amount you gave him… You fairly broke him."

"And you fixed it?" He asked.

"What little I could. He will never be altogether there again."

He paused for a moment to consider this, and then moved on.

"You still haven't answered all my questions. Why did you do all of this? And do it still? And how the hell are you doing it anyway?"

"I was paid," she said, "To make you submissive. And I do what I'm paid to do."

"But you don't," he cried. "Because I'm not!"

She smiled at him eerily and he shivered.

"Oh, aren't you? Do not lie to yourself Seto Kaiba. You hit him because you need to hit him. It feels good to you, doesn't it? Overpowering someone else. Of course, since he doesn't resist that quite takes away your delusion of conquest; but you need to hit him anyway, just to feel like a man, just to feel in charge. Unless you stand upon someone else, you don't feel very tall at all, do you?"

"That's a lie…" he whispered.

"Think what you will of what I say. But why do you think it's a lie? Because you don't want it to be true? Because something inside of you says differently? Why do you think it's a lie?

What's more," she went on, "Is that this is what Pegasus wants. He wants to be hurt, wants you to do every little thing you do to him – and not because of some liquid you forced down his throat.

When you touch him – even to hurt him – you validate his existence. Love or hate, to him it makes no difference just as long as you give him attention and he gets to be around you. You stay which was all he ever really longed for.

Thus you give him what he wants. And you need him at the same time to fulfill yourself, satisfy yourself, make you feel good about yourself."

"I don't need him!" He declared furiously.

"Then why didn't you let him die?"

When he couldn't answer, she went on.

"I promised Pegasus that I would give him what he wanted. And so I did – in a fashion. He thought he wanted one kind of dominance – but they all say that. And I know better. So what I gave him would do what he wanted; it would just take some time."

"So then, what you gave me…"

"Merely a catalyst. One can't go back; but one can go forward much more quickly. It sped you through the first part of the process to the state you two are in now. That's how it works. The relationship morphs and changes until at last it finds the best way to make things work, like a puzzle where each different piece is tried until the one which fits is found."

He felt his blood begin to seethe.

"Are you saying that I'm not in control of myself! Is that what you're saying?" He shouted. "Because I AM! Perfectly! I feel as I did before that bastard poisoned me and everything is right again with my mind…"

"Really now? And what would you know of being in control? You seem to lose it quite easily. Always have. But if you say you think you are…" She smiled. "Then rid yourself of him."

Seto felt as though he were rooted to the carpet.

"You see what I mean? Not so easy now is it?"

"You… You're confusing me. I know who I am and what I think. I felt this way before. Didn't I?"

"Did you realize it?"

"I can't remember…"

"I did tell him that your insincerity would melt away. Eventually." She cast a glance a Pegasus. "He was sure at his core that you did feel something, that all you needed was to be shown that you wanted it. When you grew angry inside my shop – you glimpsed it then, didn't you?"

He turned his face away from her, feeling nauseous. None of it made sense, or at least he didn't want it to. But it was all making him feel cold inside, like he was a boat being pulled through fog, unable to see or control where he was going.

He was beginning to regret inviting her over.

"Who paid my debt?" He asked.

"I always deliver."

"Who was that client?"

"That is privileged information. I was paid to keep my silence, to a point."

"I DEMAND to know!" He screamed at her.

"You've no right to demand anything of me," she replied. "Just know that I always do my work. Eventually," she said with a hint of an ironic smile.

"So where does that leave me?" He asked, half to her and half to himself.

He stood there numbly as she pressed a small vial into his hand.

"And now I really must be going."

She walked out of the door leaving him staring at the small object in his hand. Then from the bed Pegasus groaned. Kaiba set the vial on his dresser and walked over to the four-poster as if he were in a trance and sat down beside Pegasus.

He looked at the other's face which was beginning to regain color and wondered. Who was he, anyway? Someone who needed to abuse, making him the one who needed Pegasus? But then didn't Pegasus need him to for attention? Where was the line drawn between who was in charge and who wasn't? Perhaps there was no line at all and they were both the same…

"Seto?" Pegasus mumbled.

Kaiba smiled. He'd said something different for once.

"I'm here," Kaiba said, bending down and kissing him. "I'm here and…"

He suddenly wanted to promise the other that he would never go away again, but found that he couldn't make such a promise. It felt too unlike himself and too insincere. Any he wasn't in the habit of making promises he couldn't keep anyway.

Pegasus' fever was going down and suddenly Kaiba had an intense desire to simply feel him. He didn't know why, but if they could just lie there, together, as if they were the only ones in the world, perhaps things would be just a bit better.

"Undress," he told Pegasus, even though the man was tired and still somewhat ill.

However, he lurched out of bed and clumsily began to take off what few garments he was still wearing. Kaiba saw that he was sweaty and marveled at the scars and bruises that spread out over his skin. He hadn't even realized… Pegasus had never complained… It was quite disconcerting.

As Pegasus' clothing slipped to the floor he started removing his own. He waited patiently for the silver-haired man beneath the cool cotton sheets and soon felt the other body beside him. The room was pleasantly cool and the air contrasted nicely with the warmth of flesh he was feeling. Pegasus was just slightly taller, but since he was broader there was more of him with which to draw Pegasus in.

He folded his arms around the other man and felt the others soft skin, marred by his brutality. Pegasus buried his face in Kaiba's neck and Seto pressed his body closer, as if he could make them merge together by force of will. He could feel bones beneath the skin, but this failed to make him shudder after all he'd just experienced.

Rather, it made him glad, as if he could absorb Pegasus into himself by imagining his structure, his anatomy and making it part of himself. His mind created bizarre visuals for him of the two connected, like in some disturbing horror film, yet that only seemed to solidify his possession. Mind and body both held the other man captive. In a way.

"I don't even know…" He muttered. "I don't even know who I am…"

A dark brown eye looked up at him and a soft pink mouth opened expectantly. Kaiba planted his own upon it and slid in his tongue, working it gentle and clutching Pegasus so hard the man whimpered.

He broke away with a gasp.

"All I want is your body. That's all. Should it be so strange that I have needs, that I'd want someone beautiful yet ambiguous to fulfill them? And yet all I could ever want was your body…

The question is _why_. And what do you see beneath everything, anyway? Did your Eye tell you something that I still don't know? Was I even me to begin with or was I erased before you even met me, did you dig like the archaeologist you pretend to be to find a me that even I'd forgotten?"

"You're Seto and always have been to me…" The other whispered speaking an intelligible sentence for the first time in a very long while.

Kaiba felt a rush of relief to hear him speaking; a conversation would be more fulfilling than apostrophic confession.

"But who is Seto? Something that was beaten into shape by Gozaburo, like clay being pounded? Was I like that all along and did he merely release it? Or did he erase the Seto that was and replace him? And why can't I care about anything, it's like there's something in my way…"

And he suddenly felt dead inside when he thought of her comments about having been paid.

He suddenly had his suspicions.

"Or maybe," he sighed tiredly, in a resigned tone, "Maybe there's nothing left and I'm just a shell that others pull apart, empty and fill, and use again over and over. Him, you, the whole world wants 'me' for something else and whoever I am or was has not part in that."

Pegasus kissed him upon which he fell quiet, and then grew indignant.

"What? Do you think that's all you have to do to shut me up? That physical pleasure should be my answer?"

"It makes you happy…" he whispered. "And all this… _talk_… makes you so sad."

"I have to know!" He yelled and suddenly pushed the other man away. "It's _not_ just idle talk! It _matters_ to me if I'm being controlled or was and forgot about it and I don't even know what I've been doing all along!" He suddenly felt frustrated and panicked, suspicious of everything. "I can't trust my own memories anymore to know that they were mine – what if you weren't the first? I'm almost positive – AM positive you weren't! I can't trust anything or anybody…

I can't say for sure who I am or if I love you or not… Hell, I can't even say what love is anymore…"

"Then just come back to bed," Pegasus said patiently.

"And what? Sex will solve it? It won't… it won't give me answers." He spat out at the other man, but felt himself wandering over to the bed and getting in once more. It was, after all, cold without the covers.

"Some answers never come…"

Seto sneered at him but didn't reply. Instead he forced Pegasus into the pillows and they copulated. At the end of it, he held Pegasus from behind, his arms wrapped around the older man's waist. He pressed a cool hand onto his abdomen.

"You know," he mused languidly, "You should have been a woman. You're enough of an emotional, prissy basket case to be one. And you look good in dresses. Besides, if you were…" He nibbled Pegasus' ear, "If you were, you could give me children. Beautiful, pale little children with white hair and blue eyes, just like that girl I saw but didn't down in that tomb, the one with the dragon."

"Mmmmmmm…"

"And you could wear the prettiest outfits. And we could walk in the sunlight and make love in bizarre places and I could take care of you always, my pet, my favorite, my darling…"

"She could do it. I will if you want," the other murmured. "For you."

"Just shut up and go to sleep," Kaiba grunted. "I'm being stupid. I feel like I'm drunk…

I need to think."

He fell asleep, pushing out of his mind the responsibility of his company and the fact that Mokuba was probably wondering what he was doing by now. It was midday, but the room was dark and he found that if he shut his eyes tightly, he could forget for the moment.

If only that moment could stretch on forever. Because if he couldn't remember at all, maybe – just maybe - he could start over.

* * *

* * *

And that's it for now – long chapter. Hope you all enjoyed. 

I'm really grateful for the lovely reviews I have received – including some that actually saw where this was headed. Great job!

Again - all reviews are appreciated as well as plotbunnies, as I said at the beginning, since the story will probably only have a few more chapters.

Thanks muchly.


	11. Cleansing

I know it's been a long, long while since I've updated this. Yet despite the lengthy hiatus, this fic still seems to get quite a few hits and is relatively strong on favs, alerts and C2s.

So in an attempt to finally finish, I give you the next chapter. Do be forewarned, however, that this takes another turn towards the weird and bizarre (though the main event in this chapter was planned before I ceased updating).

Read, then, and do please leave a review if you so choose.

OOO

While Seto slept, Pegasus rose and quietly, so as not to disturb him, dressed himself in plain clothing and slipped out of the mansion. Kaiba had been tired when he had spoken, but if there was something, anything, that Pegasus thought he might want, he would stop at no lengths to get it for the boy.

He found the woman's shop once again and explained in halting phrases what he wanted, expressing his fear along the way that it too would be irreversible and Kaiba might be dissatisfied. She consoled him by assuring him that this procedure could be undone, though it would be painful in both the doing and the undoing. After he assured her that suffering was no object, she customized her work and gave him the materials necessary as well as a set of complete, meticulous instructions on how to use them.

Upon his stealthy return, Pegasus saw that Kaiba was still sleeping and he smiled; the boy needed his rest but there would be a surprise waiting for him when he awoke.

Closing the door to muffle the sound of the running water, Pegasus drew a steaming hot bath and poured in the powder like she had directed him to. The water changed to a light rose color and a sweet scent rose up from it with the steam. He went and prepared a cup of tea for himself, brewed with another small pouch of herbs she had given him, then returned to the tub. Carefully, he immersed himself in the water and, once he was mostly covered, began to quickly sip the tea. It too tasted sweet and smelled fragrant; before long he had consumed all of the liquid and set the empty cup down on a nearby stand.

At first the water was soothing; the delicate smell tickled his nose and the heat of the water relaxed his muscles. As it lapped over his skin the damage done to his body was repaired; abrasions vanished and cuts were sealed up. Before long, however, the changes that the woman had warned him of began to take place and his body shuddered with the wrenching sensations. His bones ached as though they were being crushed, and he could sense them growing smaller, centimeter by centimeter. This lasted for some time as he was a tall man and he had requested that she adjust the concoction so that he would be quite petite; fortunately, he thought, he was already delicate, or the grinding sensation might have been still worse.

Within his body the liquid he had quaffed churned and bubbled. Though he could not see the effects quite so readily at first, he knew that his vocal chords were rearranging and new organs were being brought into being, as the woman had explained. When the sexual change finally did manifest itself outside of the body, Pegasus convulsed as the pain dug so sharply that he bit his lip and clutched the sides of the tub desperately in an effort to keep from crying out. His agony finally subsided and when it did, he breathed in relief then smiled in pleasure; she had assured him that it would be created so completely that he would, in fact, bleed upon their first encounter.

Already aware that he was much smaller and more fragile, he turned to pick up yet another phial she had given him. As he reached, he looked down and saw for the first time his newly developed breasts, unnoticed until then due to the distraction of the pain. Diverted, he stroked them and smiled at the sensation which ran through his body as he did so. He also saw that they were rather small, but this did not concern him much; she had given him a mixture he could drink to adjust them to Seto's satisfaction.

Resuming his task, he took the phial and poured it's contents into his hair, lathered, then bent his head and rinsed it out in the tub. The fine silver threads swirled around him and he saw that they were at once both silkier and lengthier than previously. Then he turned and took another item from this stand, this time a container with a thick goo inside it that would serve as a facial mask. He smeared it over his features, including his closed eyelids, and allowed it to sit for several minutes as she had recommended.

Once he rinsed the mask off, he opened his eyes to find that for the first time in many years he had depth perception. Two wide, restored brown eyes gazed back at him from the reflective surface of the water, set amidst features even daintier than before yet were still recognizable as having been his. Though the water was somewhat murky, it was evident that his skin was several shades lighter as well. He giggled and her tone was light and musical.

Standing, being careful to gain her balance, she drained the tub and turned on the shower head to give her self a final rinse. As the water fell upon her, her hands explored her newly fashioned curves; they seemed quite pleasing and she desperately hoped they would satisfy her Seto. Once she had turned the water off, she gracefully stepped out of the tub and onto the bath mat, grabbing a Turkish bathrobe and wrapping it around her body before proceeding to dry herself off.

Her hair was still damp and her body clothed only in the robe when she softly stepped into Kaiba's room. He was still sleeping but was now spread across the bed, he head lolling off to one side on the pillows and his arm draped over the edge of the mattress. Kneeling at the side of the bed, she tugged his arm as a child would and when he awoke and turned to see her, she looked at him with a pleading gaze.

"Dress me?" She begged.

OOO

Initially Kaiba had been surprised; his eyes grew wide and he had opened his mouth to say something, then thought the better of it and instead gave her a smile halfway between lust and pity. Her heart rate sped as he picked her up off of the floor and led her over to the closet with its full length mirror. Even the first glance pleased her as she could see that she was easily seven or eight inches shorter than he was. She shivered with a chill and delight as he slid the robe off of her body and they both blushed upon viewing her whole nakedness for the first time.

With more care than ever he dressed her, giving her playful pinches as he slid lacy panties up her legs. She giggled and, to her surprise, even he smiled, giving her a quick peck on the cheek and patting her butt before going to search for a bra. Bending down and reaching into the folds of the robe, searching for its pocket, she quickly straightened and held up a carved glass bottle.

"I can adjust," she said suggestively.

He quickly agreed and they did so together, he moistening a finger with the liquid and she licking it off until they had burgeoned to tender C-cups. She closed her eyes as he cupped and teased them before fitting her with a bra and fastening it in the back.

Inch by inch she allowed him to tug on white lace stockings with ruffled garters, pull tiered petticoats up around her waist, button up a frilly, laced edged shirt tightly across her chest - "Just like the ones you used to wear," he said with a grin - and slip a puffy pink jumper over her head, tying the ribbon tightly in the back so that its loose ends came down to just below the trim of the dress. He even knelt at her feet and she lifted them one by one so he could slip on round-toed shoes crafted of matching pink fabric and buckle them for her.

She squealed with pleasure as he lifted her up as though she were as light as air and carried her over to a vanity where he set her in a chair and began to work. He first combed out her flowing locks, teasing her with the strands as he dried them, massaging in mousse and curling them carefully, being cautious not to burn them. He gathered part of her hair into a tail and fasted it with a hair tie before using a ribbon to make a bow and curling the tail a little extra. The rest of the silvery waterfall he combed and straightened to shimmering smoothness, save for the very ends which remained curled.

Then, as if he too were a painter, he brushed on foundation and powder, overlaid her cheeks with a soft pink, yet sparkling, blush, spread her lips with color until they glistened, blended colors on her eyelids and touched her lashes with just a hint of mascara. Then he offered her his hand and she stood, following him back to the closet. Kaiba reached into its depths once more and withdrew a pair of white kid gloves, again edged in lace, which he pulled on her hands when she proffered them.

Finally, he handed her a pink stuffed rabbit which she took eagerly. Then he stood behind her as she regarded the completed picture in the glass. Her eyes grew teary, though she was careful not to cry lest she spoil the effect he had worked so hard to achieve. When she felt his arms wrap around her and pick her up once more, she exalted. He pulled the chair from the vanity up to the bed and sat her down in it once more, instructing her to be careful and sit very still. He was going to change the sheets, he explained, and then she would pose for a few pictures.

She nodded eagerly, smiling all the while.

At last she had finally become something he wanted, at last she had changed herself into something he could desire and fondle and play with and protect. He could lift her, shape her, do anything and everything, and it would not displease her. But now, at last, he was gentle, since she was now something so much more exquisite than before.

At last she had become his perfect little doll; his living, breathing, loving doll.

OOO

Kaiba's POV next chapter, in which there will be some much needed revealing of his emotions during this shift. Review, if you would; I really do appreciate the feedback. I'll try to get things done and hopefully the next chapter will be a little more quickly forthcoming.


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